New Girl In Town English
by Emmetje
Summary: Rachel Grey is forced to move with her adoptive parents to Forks, Washington. Life there isn't easy for her, especially not due to a broken heart. But after she catches the eye of a certain Cullen Vampire, things might finally look a little brighter for her. Or not. Because the Cullens aren't the only Vampires who are curious about her and what secrets is she hiding? Edward x Oc
1. Prologue

**Hi to everyone who has found this story.**

**Maybe some of you will notice that I've another story that is named like this.**

**My mother tongue is Dutch so when I first started writing, my English wasn't very good. So I started with Dutch.**

**Now, a view years later, I started playing with the idea of rewriting New Girl in Town only then in English.**

**New Girl in Town follows my oc Rachel Grey, who moves to Forks together with her adoptive parents: Charles and Janet. **

**You will find out that Rachel is similiar to Bella in a view ways but mostly, she is completely different.**

**I follow the storyline of the movies, even though you will notice a view referances to the books too.**

**This is just a prologue, and you will already notice that Rachel's past is a little different then Bella's. In later chapters you will find out more about that. **

**And I will say, like I've been saying to all my Dutch readers, expect the unexpected. Nothing in this story is what it seems and just because it is based on the Twilight Saga doesn't mean it will end like it too.**

**Enjoy reading the short prologue and I hope to hear from the people that have read it. Do you like it? Are you curious for more? Or do you think it's dull? Just tell me what you think. Reviews are always good, no matter if they held praising words or criticiscm. It's always welcome and I learn from criticiscm. **

**Also, if you have anything to say about errors, grammar and spelling, please say it. Like I said before, my mother tongue is Dutchso I'm still learning.**

**XxX Emmetje**

* * *

New Girl in Town

Prologue

* * *

It felt like she was nailed to the ground. Her eyes were widened and her body was trembling, both because of the fear she felt.

The hunter slowly came closer. That ridiculous smile of his was apparently stuck on his face like clue. No matter what he tried, he couldn't wipe it away.

She had never really thought about how she would die, although she had had reasons enough to think about it the last view months.

She had imagined it would be of old age, after she had gotten married and after she had gotten children en grandchildren. It would have happened peacefully and while she was asleep.

She had imagined it would come at the hand of another person. Someone who had found out what she had done and what she could do. Someone who had started to fear her and who had wanted her dead because she was not normal.

She had imagined it would come unexpected while she was walking through the streets alone. A hand grabbing her wrist, pulling her into a dark alley and then a snap of the neck and it would be done.

She stared, still trembling and still with wide eyes, at the hunter who was standing at the other side of the room and who was looking back at her with an almost friendly look in his eyes. And of course that smile.

She had never imagined that death would come like this. That she would have walked towards it willingly. She had never imagined she would make the choice herself. But she had. And now, dying for someone she cared about, dying for someone who didn't deserve death while she did, it seemed like a good way to go. Brave, noble and slightly foolish.

She swallowed when the hunter crept closer. She knew that this wouldn't have happened if she had never broken up with her boyfriend.

Her eyes started to tear when she thought of him. How would he take it if he heard she was dead? Would he mourn or would he not care at all? Whatever it would be, she hoped that he would become happy with the love of his life. That was all she wanted.

The hunter reached her and looked down on her. She swallowed and pushed the tears back. This was it. It was over.

She closed her eyes and crooked her neck a little. "Just make it fast."


	2. Dislike For Being The New Girl

**Hello there, people!**

**Here is the very first chapter of my story. **

**Thank you all you who favoured this story and started to follow it. Even more thanks, and a very special extra thanks, for the ones who also reviewed. Reviews make even my worst day good.**

**Is there anything you need to know about this chapter...?**

**No, at the moment I don't believe you guys need to know anything yet. **

**I hope you will like it, please review to let me know what you liked and perhaps what you liked not so much. And if you ask questions about things that are unclear, ask and I promise I will answer.**

**Also, if you find any kind of grammar and spelling mistakes, tell me. I learn from my mistakes. ****Criticism is more then welcome too.**

**I held you up long enough again. I hope I will update every week but I can't say for sure. I can already promise you that I will post a new chapter next Friday. So not tomorrow but the week after that.**

**For anyone who is curious about the way I imagined Rachel, Charles and Janet to be, there are links to how they look in my profile. Those three come close enough to how I imagined them.**

**I do not own Twilight or its characters. Those belong to Stephenie Meyer. I do own Charles, Janet and Rachel and everything in this story that isn't coming from the book or the movies. Most of the story that folds around and through the original one (I don't believe that was a correct sentence but I don't know how to put it differently).**

**PLEASE REVIEW! PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE!**

**XxX Emmetje**

* * *

New Girl in Town

Chapter 1

Dislike For Being The New Girl

* * *

Once upon a time there was a small town called Forks. It was laying in the state of Washington D.C. in the United States of America near Seattle.

Forks was lying in the shadows of high mountains and was surrounded by a large forest. It rained almost 240 days a year, the other 120 days it was snowing and the 5 days that remained? In a good year the sun would shine. In a bad year you had to count them with the 240 days of rain.

The town had a population of 3120 people, or it had had a population of 3120 people. That number was now standing on 3123 people.

Recently a man had moved to Forks together with his wife and daughter. The name of the man was Charles Grey. He was thirty-seven years old and he had short black hair and two green eyes. He was around 6'0 long and rather muscular. Something that wasn't extraordinary as he was a policeman.

The name of his wife was Janet Grey and she was thirty-five years old. She was a slim woman with long blond hair and two blue eyes. She was around 5'3 and she was a nurse. Being sad and down was a very rare thing for her as she was always cheerful and happy and she talked sometimes a little too much.

Their daughter's name was Rachel Grey and she looked absolutely nothing like them. She was of the age of sixteen and she was around 5'4 long. She had long brown hair that curled a little and two dark brown eyes. She was still going to High School, meaning she didn't have a job yet and she had no idea either what she wanted to study after she had graduated High School.

The reason why Rachel looked absolutely nothing like them was because they weren't her biological parents. They had adopted her when she was four years old and had raised her as their own ever since.

Nonetheless, the young and rebellious Rachel refused to call them mom and dad. She had done it once, not anymore. She had changed from the girl she once had been. She had changed very much.

So the three Grey's had recently moved to Forks and Rachel's first day at her new school had finally arrived. And let's just say, she wasn't really looking forward to it...

* * *

_Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep_. **BANG!**

An arm shot from under the covers and a fist was smashed on the snooze button of the alarm. The alarm fell silent and the arm fell down again while a groan was heard from under the covers.

Slowly the blanket on the small double bed was pushed back and the head of a sixteen year old girl appeared. Her brown hair was a mess and her eyes held a sleepy and annoyed look. Who had dared to wake her up from her sleep?

"Bloody alarm," she cursed while looking at the alarm in question. "There will come a day I will throw you out of my window or burn you during a ritually sacrifice. Together with my schoolbooks."

"Sweetheart!" called a cheerful voice from downstairs, causing the girl to groan again and pushing her hands against her eyes. "Are you up? You don't want to be late on your first day, do you?"

"Oh no, because that would be absolutely terrible," mumbled the girl while rolling with her eyes. "Being late on my first day. What could possibly be worse?"

This girl was Rachel Grey and the voice from downstairs belonged to Janet Grey. She and Charles were already up and downstairs, sitting at their breakfast. Today was their first day on their new jobs too.

Rachel turned on her left side and stared at her window. She had yet to buy curtains so she could already see how the landscape outside looked. And most of all, what the weather was. Not that you needed to see it to guess what it was.

It was raining causing the trees that were already looking so grey and green to look even more grey and green. And dull. It was depressing.

Rachel hated Forks. She had hated it from the moment Charles and Janet had told her they would leave the sunny landscape of France behind and move to this shithole in the middle of nowhere.

She didn't really hate it because she was in love with the sun. She had been but there was just something about cold weather that was attractive too. And she didn't mind rain that much either. She just minded the rain and the cold in this town.

She also hated this town because she would be yet again the new girl. Every view years Charles and Janet would force her to come with them and move away from the place she had started to call home. And for an unknown reason, they always deliberately avoided moving to cities. No, it were always small towns where they found a cosy little house.

She hated it, being the new girl. Because she always was every view years. And just when she started to find her place, just when she had made new friends, Charles and Janet would crush her world like a bug again with the news that they would move.

The move from France to Forks had been extremely hard because Rachel had been really happy in France. She had been popular, she had had great friends and she had had the most amazing boyfriend ever. And she had to give it all up just because Charles and Janet had wanted to move again.

The break-up with her boyfriend had been extremely though on her because she hadn't wanted to break-up but she didn't have much choice. She had broken her own heart by breaking up with him.

This time would be different, she had told her herself ever since they had started packing. She wasn't going to make friends to who she would later had to say goodbye again; she wouldn't become Miss Popular again (she didn't even want to be in the spotlights this time) and she certainly wouldn't get a new boyfriend. The only thing she would do was go to school, do what the teachers told her to do and she was going to make sure that everyone would leave her alone. Because that was all she wanted: to be left alone.

"Sweetheart!" called Janet from downstairs again.

"Yeah!" yelled Rachel back. "I'm already up!"

"Hurry up, honey! Breakfast is already ready and you don't have much time left to shower and get dressed! And it would be a really bad start to be late on your first day!"

"I don't give a shit," mumbled Rachel while getting out of bed.

Charles and Janet were different, just like her. They were what some called mutants. They possessed a power that they could use. Janet, for example, had a way to make the people around her really happy (part of the reason why she was always happy). And Charles had really fast reflexes, making him able to react faster, shoot faster and do his job as policeman very well.

Rachel didn't possess just one power but several. The three that stood out most were her telepathy, her telekinetic powers and her healing powers. She had very little control over the first two and it had happened she would lose complete control and when she did... Let's just say it wasn't a very pretty sight. The last one was something she just had and had no control over. Whenever she got wounded, she would heal in no time.

After a quick shower Rachel got dressed in a pair of light jeans and combined shirt / vest. It looked like she was wearing a dark vest with long sleeves and with a flower on the shoulder and under it an old-fashioned colour pink shirt with little red and white flowers on it. In reality it was just attached to one another. After putting on black sneakers, she pulled a bag over her shoulder and hurried downstairs.

Charles and Janet were sitting at the kitchen table and were eating indeed breakfast: freshly squeezed jus and cornflakes.

"Good morning, sweetheart," greeted Janet. "Did you sleep well?"

Rachel just glared at her and sat down beside Charles who was lost in his paper. "Are you excited for your first day?" asked the man.

"Am I ever?" mumbled Rachel.

"Oh, don't worry about a thing," said Janet with a big smile. "I'm positive they will all just love you and that you will make new friends in no time."

That Janet was always so happy had freaked Rachel out more the once. She was just happy that Janet's power didn't work on her. She hated people trying to change the way she felt.

"I don't want them to love me and I don't want to make new friends. I want them to leave me alone." She stared at her cornflakes and started make circles in it with her spoon. "It's just one more year after this and then I'm done with High School and I will go somewhere else. If we haven't moved away again by that time."

"We won't move for a while, Rachel," said Charles who lowered his paper.

"Yeah, that was what you said last time too," mumbled Rachel.

"Charles was offered to be the permanent chief of police here," said Janet who was gloating from happiness and caressed the hair of her husband with a lot of love in her eyes. "They were already looking for a new one for a while as their last chief of police, Charlie Swan, moved to Arizona to be closer to his daughter and to be able to spend more time with her."

"Let me guess," said Rachel while looking at Charles. "You said yes."

"Of course he said yes. This is an one time opportunity," laughed Janet. "So you don't need to worry about us moving away anytime soon."

"You could have just told me that before," said Rachel.

"We wanted to keep it a surprise, honey," smiled Janet.

Rachel pulled a mocking face. "I hate surprises."

"So there's nothing to hold you back," said Janet, who just went on and pretended she didn't hear Rachel's comment. "You can just make new friends. And the friends you probably make right now, you will keep them for the rest of your life."

"Right. I'll have to see it first before I believe it," said Rachel while rolling her eyes. "Let's first see how the teenagers here are and think before we start talking about me becoming friends with them."

"Why are you acting so bitter?" smiled Janet. "The people here are so ni..."

"It's a small town, Janet," interrupted Rachel with a cold look. "The people here are very narrow-minded. There are just one step away from being peasants. That they are nice from outside doesn't mean that what they think is nice too. And I am the one who has to hear what they are thinking so sorry if I'm not really jumping up and down and looking forward to meet all those "nice" people as you call them."

Janet wanted to go against her but Charles stopped. "Just leave her be, Janet. She is always like this on her first day."

Rachel pushed a mouth full of cornflakes into her mouth while muttering: "Thanks, Charles."

But Janet just couldn't let it rest. "From what I've seen are the people here very nice and open. They accept and welcome you with open arms."

"Small town, Janet," pointed Rachel out. "And like every small town the people here probably know more about who sleeps with who and who did what and all other kind of gossips then the history of the nation."

"But..."

"And I'm talking about teenagers too. Stubborn teenagers who only care about who they date, how popular they are, how they look and who their friends are. I am not talking about the people you find working in a mall or a bookstore or in a restaurant at the side of the road."

"You were once like that too," pointed Janet out.

The temperature in the room dropped to almost five degrees below and Rachel looked with such a cold look in her eyes at Janet that for the first time that morning, the smile of the blond woman's face disappeared.

Without saying another word she stood up and grabbed her bag. "See you tonight."

She marched out of the room and slammed the front door close behind her. Charles looked at his wife and gave her a sad look. "Too soon, Janet. Way too soon."

Janet sighed deeply. "I just want her to go on with her life and forget about him. There are so many other nice and handsome young men walking around. And maybe they're just the right ones for her."

"She can't forget him yet. They only broke up about three weeks ago."

"Three weeks is quite a long time," said Janet. "She should have been her old self again by now."

"Look at the bright side," said Charles. "She isn't crying hysterical and she isn't walking around like a zombie anymore. And she isn't just lying in bed any more, doing absolutely nothing but staring to the wall."

* * *

Rachel was meanwhile driving towards school in her Mini Cooper. Her bag was lying beside her on the passenger's seat and her eyes were fixed on the wet road in front of her.

Much of that road she couldn't see because her sight was blurry. There were tears in her eyes and she was crying.

Why had Janet to bring it up? She knew that would only cause her pain and cause her to think about him again. To think about how much she missed him.

She kept to the speed limit. Back in France she never had done that. She loved driving too fast, especially on a motorcycle. But she had known to how far she was able to puss it in France and here she didn't know that yet.

It took her around twenty minutes to arrive at her new school: Forks High School: Home of the Spartans. Just like every other building in Forks, it was surrounded by trees. It was a big building, made out of red bricks.

She parked her car but didn't step out of it yet. There were a view other students already present and they were looking with curiosity in their eyes towards her car.

Rachel wiped the tears away and glanced quickly into her mirror to see if it was very obvious she had cried. When that wasn't the case she turned the key and stepped out of the car while pulling her bag over her shoulder.

The students present weren't only curious about her, she quickly realised, but also about her car. Most of the cars that were parked were old puck-up trucks and she was driving a quite expensive Mini Cooper. Hell of a way to try and make sure she was left alone.

The winter was still going on so she hadn't missed a lot. That was if they didn't treat completely different subjects then the ones she had had back in France.

Almost every single pair of eyes was focussed on her while she walked across the parking lot towards the entrance of the school. They were all staring and she felt uncomfortable.

"Ignore them," she thought to herself. "They don't matter. Just ignore them."

She jumped a little when someone she passed said: "Nice ride."

She just turned her head away, mumbled "Thanks" and quickly walked on. Even after she had gotten inside, she kept being stared at by curious eyes. Just like she was followed by a stream of gossip, that all started after she had passed.

Finding the office of the secretary wasn't very hard. And just like the rest of the interior of the building, the office was grey and dull.

There was only one person in the office and that was a rather big woman with red hair and glasses who was dressed in purple blouse.

She looked up at Rachel when she entered. "Can I help you with something?"

"I'm Rachel Grey." The woman recognized the name of course. The daughter of the new chief of police. Rachel hadn't expected any different than not being expected. Gossip travels really fast. Nonetheless she said: "I'm the new student."

"Of course," said the woman with a smile on her face that made her look like a Barbie doll. She started digging in a pile of papers that looked like it could fall any moment. She pulled a paper out, making the pile move dangerously. "Here is your schedule and a map of the school."

After marking the quickest routes to her different classes and giving her quite a view papers that her teachers had to sign and that she had to bring her at the end of the day, Rachel went on her way.

She was just walking through the hallways with her eyes focussed on her schedule and the map of the school when someone tapped her on her shoulder. She looked up and saw that someone had started to walk beside her. It was an Asian looking boy with half long black hair. "You must be Rachel Grey, the new girl." She nodded carefully. "Hi! I'm Eric, the eyes and ears of the place. Anything you need? Tour guide, lunch date, shoulder to cry on?"

Rachel looked at him a little weirdly. This guy was way too obvious. Did this usually work in this town because it was low and pathetic. And was this guy even attracted to girls because he had something slightly gay.

"Uh..." What should she say to get rid of him but not hurt his feelings either? "I'm more the suffer in silence kind of type."

To her dismay he snapped in his fingers. "Good headline for the future. I'm in the paper and you're front news page, baby."

Rachel stopped shocked dead in her tracks. "No, I'm not," she immediately protested. "You... I... Uh... Please, don't. I just really don't…"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," smiled Eric. 'Chillex. No future."

Rachel let out a relieved sigh. "Thanks."

"So what's your first class?"

Rachel looked at her schedule. "English from Mr. Mason."

"Great," smiled Eric. "That's my first class too. I will walk you."

Rachel forced a smile on her face. "Thanks."

"Can I see your schedule? Maybe we have another class together."

This guy was way too helpful, was Rachel's conclusion while she gave him her schedule. He started telling her about things that were connected with the classes and the teachers that gave them and everyone once in a while he pointed out a student and told her about him or her.

Rachel just kept her mouth shut. He didn't only talk way too much out loud but his head was a mess of thoughts too.

"God, she is so hot. I hope I learned enough for that prelim. Why is she so quiet? Maybe she has a boyfriend. She doesn't look like the type who stays single. Maybe I should ask Jess. She knows everything around here. God, when is Tyler finally going to give Lauren the truth?"

Rachel bit back a groan and rubbed with her fingers over the side of her heads. It was normal for her to get headaches because of the many thoughts she picked up, especially in her first week.

"So where are you from?"

"Depends. Do you want to know where I was born or where I lived before we moved here," was Rachel's answer while glancing through the hallway.

Nearly every single student was staring at her and some were already gossiping about theories about her and Eric. Great, just great.

Eric gave her a too sweet smile. "How about both?"

Rachel rolled her eyes. "I was born in Virginia and I lived in France before we moved here."

"France. It doesn't really rain there a lot, does it?"

"Depends in which part of the country you live. Near the border with Belgium? It rains quite a lot there. But when you go more South, towards the border with Spain, you don't have much rain there."

"I wonder what that is like?" wondered Eric out loud.

Rachel rolled again with her eyes. "Sunny."

Eric looked her up and down. "You don't really have a tan."

Rachel gave him a slightly cold look. "It's winter there too, you know? How much sun did you think I got?"

"Oh," was his answer, clearly taken back by the cold look she had given him.

Rachel let out a relieve sigh when they reached the classroom where they were expected. Mr. Mason, a long bold going man, was sitting behind his desk and she walked quickly towards him without saying goodbye to Eric.

He didn't notice her standing there, so busy was he with whatever it was he was doing, so Rachel coughed a little. He looked up and a confused look appeared on his face. "Who are you?"

"Rachel Grey, sir." He gawked at her, clearly recognizing her name. "Sir?" No response, just more gawking. She lost it a little. "Is there something on my face, Mr. Mason, or do you always stare at your students like this?"

Mr. Mason finally snapped out of it and muttered and apology before signing one of the papers, giving her her books and pointing her to an empty table at the back of the class.

Rachel walked to her new place with her head held high and ignored the stares she got from the other students in the class. She acted like she didn't give a shit about anything but in truth she was really happy that Mr. Mason hadn't made her introduce herself to the class.


	3. Just When The Day Couldn't Get Worse

**Hello there, people.**

**Thanks to everyone who favoured this story and who started to follow it. It is however pity that no one reviewed. I hope I will get reviews on this chapter. Really, if you have something bad to write about this story, I don't mind. Write it. A review full of criticism is better then no review at all.**

**I'm really busy with school at the moment, resulting in the fact that I don't really have much time to write more about this story, so I don't know for sure when I will update again. But how more reviews, how sooner I porbably want to update again.**

**I apologize if anyone finds any grammar or spelling mistakes in this story. I do my best to find them and change them so everything is right but English is not my native tongue. I would really like it if anyone notices one or two that they would tell me. I learn from my mistakes.**

**Anyway... I hope all the readers of this story will enjoy it (and will tell me what they like and what they don't).**

**I don't own Twilight and its characters. Stephenie Meyer does. I do own my oc's.**

**Until soon I hope.**

**XxX Emmetje**

* * *

New Girl in Town

Chapter 2

Just When The Day Couldn't Get Worse

* * *

Much to her dislike the next class Rachel had was social science and Eric had his next lesson near hers and showed her the way again. She kept her mouth shut the whole way.

After social science she had math. She got from Mr. Varner the same reaction as from Mr. Mason and she had to snap at him too, resulting in the fact that she had to introduce herself to the class.

After Math she had Spanish where a girl named Jessica introduced herself. Rachel got a lot of jealous vibes from her and it didn't take her long to figure out that this was probably the Jess Eric had mentioned in his thoughts too: the gossip girl from Forks High.

After Spanish Jessica showed her the way to the gymnasium because she had sports, which ended in a disaster.

Because she had to focus a lot with sports, she couldn't keep more focus on her powers. And as she was mental and physical very busy, she was more distracted resulting in the fact that she had even little control over her powers then she usually had.

Even more to her dismay they were playing volleyball and she tried to stay out of the way and not get the ball. Unfortunately she did get the ball and just when she plaid it, her powers came out and instead of going back over the line back to the other party, it shot towards the left and hit a blonde boy that was playing basketball at the back of his head.

"I'm so sorry," said Rachel while walking towards him, to apologize and to get the ball back. "I told them not to let me play but I just have that much bad luck."

The boy turned around and his blue eyes widened a little when he saw her. "No, no. It's fine. No problem. I hardly even felt it." Rachel's eyebrows went up when she heard his thoughts. He was really going to annoy the living daylight out of her. "You're Rachel, right?"

"Yeah, the new girl."

"Yeah... Hey, I'm Mike." He held out his hand. "Mike Newton."

"Nice meeting you," Rachel brought out while shaking his hand a little carefully.

Her stomach gave a strange pull when she saw the imagines that he had in his mind and she quickly pulled her hand back. Physical contact didn't help her to stay out of people's heads and he wasn't really trying to keep her out. She suddenly felt really sick.

Jessica joined them and smiled widely. "Hey. She got a great spike, huh?"

"Yeah, absolutely," agreed Mike but his eyes staid focussed on Rachel. He was gawking at her, just like everyone else had pretty much done today.

"Hey, weren't you originally from France?" asked Jessica. The jealous vibes became stronger, making Rachel rub her arm. Clearly she had a crush on this Mike boy.

"Yeah..."

"Aren't girls from France supposed to be really slim?"

Rachel looked down while she felt herself get more insecure. In other words, Jessica had just called her fat. "Yeah. That's probably while they kicked me out and didn't want me around anymore."

Mike and Jessica started to laugh. "You're good," said Mike who waved his finger at her.

"That's so funny," said Jessica with a fake smile and laugh.

Rachel just looked weirdly at them before shaking her head and walking away. Tears were stinging in her eyes. This was part of the reason why she preferred to go back to France. American High Schools were known for their harassment. And she already felt very unsecure about herself, thanks to people whose names she wouldn't mention.

"I don't need this," she told herself. "I don't need them. Just ignore them. They will realise you don't want anything to do with them and they will leave you alone."

That was what she told herself in silence but she somehow doubted if that really would be the case. They wouldn't leave her alone. They were too curious for that.

Why couldn't they just leave her alone? Why couldn't she just have stayed in France?

* * *

The lunch break was after her double class of gym was over. Mike proved yet again how annoying and curious he was by joining her while she was walking through the hallways towards the cafeteria.

After she had gotten herself a tray with food on it, Mike forced her to come with him and sit down at the table where he usually sat with his friends. Jessica and Eric were sitting already there together with a view more that she didn't know yet.

Trying to be a real gentleman, he grabbed a chair for her and she was forced to sit beside Eric. "You know my friend here?" asked Mike Rachel.

Eric, abandoning the conversation he had had with Jessica completely, turned to him. "Hey, Mikey. I see you met my home-girl Rachel."

"Oh, you're home-girl?" asked Mike.

"Yeah," nodded Eric.

Suddenly out of nowhere a new guy appeared and he kissed Rachel on the cheek. "No, my girl."

After that he pulled the chair Mike was sitting on from under him and ran away. Mike immediately stumbled on his feet and went after him.

Rachel stared shocked and slightly pissed after them before shaking her head annoyed and opening her water bottle and taking a long sip from it.

"Oh my God," said Jessica, pushing her chair a little closer to Rachel and making sure she was on the place where Mike had been just moments ago. "It's like the first grade all over again. With you being the shiny new toy."

Another girl appeared. She had a slightly tanned skin, long black hair that was pulled in a tail and she was wearing glasses. She also had a camera around her neck. "Smile."

Before Rachel could do anything her picture was already taken. She gritted with her teeth and pulled her hands into two fists. She then felt how her powers came more to the surface and tried to relax a little before she would lose control in the middle of a full cafeteria.

"Sorry," said the girl. "I needed a candidate for the future."

"The future is dead, Angela. Don't bring it up again," said Eric cold-hearted.

Rachel felt pity for the girl when she saw her face. "Sorry. I just..."

She was cut off by Eric who patted her shoulder. "Don't worry. I got your back, baby."

He then walked away and Rachel stared annoyed after him. The girl looked down at her camera and deleted the photo she had just taken. "I guess we will just have to write another article about underage drinking."

"You could always go for eating disorders," suggested Rachel. "Or teenage mothers. Or the use of Speedo in the swimming team."

"Actually that's a good one," said Angela.

Jessica nodded too. "Kirk is a fine example for that."

"That's just what I thought."

"He's really fast. I mean, we're talking Olympic worthy."

"Yet he's so skinny. It just doesn't fit."

"Totally."

Rachel turned her gaze away from the two girls and stared out of the window, that was way too far away. Next time she would pick a spot she would make sure she was closer to the window.

She blinked when she saw two people walking past the window: a boy and a girl. They were followed by another boy and girl.

The first couple opened the door in the cafeteria that led outside and walked in. The girl was just beautiful and looked even a little too old to be in High School. She had long, slightly curling blonde hair. The boy beside her looked like a bear because of how tall and muscular he was. He had short dark hair.

The second couple walked in too. This girl was tiny and reminded Rachel of a pixie. She had short brown hair that was pixie cut. The boy had a head full of blonde curls and his face held an expression that made Rachel wonder if he had chronic pain.

"Who are that?"

Angela and Jessica stopped talking and followed her gaze before quickly looking at her again. "The Cullens," said Angela with a big smile.

"They are Dr. and Mrs. Cullen's foster kids. They moved down here from Alaska like a view years ago," told Jessica her.

"They kind of keep to themselves," explained Angela.

"Yeah, cause they're all together. Like together together." Rachel glanced at the Cullens again. "The blonde girl, that's Rosalie. And the big dark haired guy is Emmett." The two walked past them, hand in hand. "They're like a thing. I'm not even sure that's legal."

"Jess," said Angela. "They're not actually related."

"Yeah, but they live together! It's weird." The pixie like girl and the blonde boy walked past them this time. "The little dark haired girl is Alice. She's really weird." Rachel could see that for herself when Alice did a pirouette in the middle of the room while she and her boyfriend were walking. "And she's with Jasper, the blonde guy who looks like he's in pain." Rachel glanced after the other couple too. Alice was walking with a happy smile on her face on and was holding Jasper's arms as tight as she could. He just stared ahead with a blank expression on his face. "Dr. Cullen is this foster dad / match maker."

Angela gave them a sweet smile. "Maybe he will adopt me."

Rachel glanced at the Cullens again and couldn't help but shiver. There was something strange about those four. Something that made her slightly scared of them. And for four kids that weren't related they all really looked alike: the same topaz coloured eyes and unhealthy white skin. Seriously, they looked like they could drop dead any moment.

There was another thing extremely strange about them. The way they were thinking. Their thoughts were almost shielded and they were careful with what they were thinking, like they knew she could read their minds.

The thoughts of Rosalie went mostly about herself. The thoughts of Emmett were quite calm but at the same time he was planning all kind of things, mostly pranks. Alice was counting in what sounded like Chinese in her head. And Jasper probably confused her most of all. The moment she started reading his thoughts a wave of all kind of different emotions washed over her, resulting in the fact that she immediately pulled away.

Her attention was caught by yet another very pale guy that walked into the cafeteria and he caused her stomach to give a strange pull and not the good kind of one.

He had bronze coloured hair and it looked like he didn't really take much care of it because it looked like he had just stepped out of bed.

She guessed that he was probably another Cullen as he had the same unhealthy white skin and topaz coloured eyes.

The reason why her stomach gave such a weird pull had one reason: he remembered her a little of her ex in a view ways. There was the pale skin and the shills he sent over her back; the confidence that radiated of him, like he didn't care what anyone thought or said; but most of all, she couldn't read his mind, just like she hadn't been able to read her ex-boyfriend's mind.

There was however a difference between those two. With her ex it had been like he had had walls in his mind and when she had tried to read his thoughts, it had felt like she had walked straight into a stone wall.

With this boy it was like she couldn't tune in on him. Like he was on a different radio station. It was weird.

She nodded towards him. "Who is he?"

Jessica and Angela looked at the boy and Jessica immediately looked down. Even though she was smiling, Rachel knew she was feeling very uncomfortable. "That's Edward Cullen. Totally gorgeous, obviously. But apparently nobody here is good enough for him. Like I care, you know."

Rachel saw that Edward smile the moment Jessica said that and frowned. It looked like he had heard her. But how was that possible? He was almost at the other side of the room.

She saw how Edward sat down with the rest of the Cullens and another shiver went through her spine. Her gut told her that the Cullens were dangerous. Very dangerous.

"Seriously," said Jessica, causing Rachel to look at her again and away from the Cullens. "Don't waste your time."

"I wasn't planning on it," said Rachel. "Relationships are just doomed to end."

"Sounds like someone got a heart broken, recently," said Angela with compassion in her eyes.

Rachel shrugged it off but a sharp pain went through her heart. "It's nothing. And it has already been a while. I'm over him."

The two didn't ask on. Instead they started talking about the guy named Kirk again and how it wasn't possible that he could swim that fast. Rachel glanced over her shoulder at the Cullens again and her heart missed a beat from fright when she looked right into a pair of topaz coloured eyes.

Edward was staring straight back at her and frowned a little, as if he was trying to figure out something. Rachel frowned too and then rolled her eyes and looked away.

On that moment a new wave of thoughts hit her and she groaned softly while pressing her fingers against the side of her heads. This was part of the reason why she hated school so badly. It was always so noisy, especially the thoughts. Teenagers had yet to learn how to think a little more peaceful, something most adults had already learned.

"Hey, is everything okay?" asked Angela. Rachel looked up and saw that the girl was looking worried at her.

"Yeah... Yeah, I'm okay. I just need some fresh air."

She grabbed her bottle of water and her bag and started walking towards the door. She was almost there when she was suddenly tuned in on the thoughts of one of the Cullens. Emmett, if she wasn't mistaken.

"Why does Edward keep staring at the new girl? Maybe he likes her. She doesn't seem interested in him. Oh! I would love to see him get rejected for the first time! That would be so funny! I bet if I tell Alice she will start playing match maker. Maybe I should tell her and see if she can set those two up. He does need someone."

Rachel snapped in herself. "Oh, shut your blood mouth, Cullen!"

"What the hell!" yelled Emmett while jumping up.

Rachel stopped and looked at him and saw he was staring at her. His eyes were widened in surprise. She gave him a cold look before looking away and walking on.

The moment she stepped outside, the cold air hit her face and calmed the chaos in her mind a little. It felt like her head could explode in any minute now.

She took some distance from the cafeteria and once she was sure she was alone, she lowered herself on the ground, leaned against the wall with her back and put her arms around her legs and hided her face against her knees.

The tears started to fall almost immediately. She wanted to go home, back to France. To the school that was familiar to her, to the people she knew, to the friends she had there. She wanted to go back to her ex-boyfriend. She wanted him to bring her to school and pick her up again. She wanted to be able to call him again and ask him to pick her up when she couldn't handle it anymore, like now was the case. She wanted him to try and persuade her again to skip school and spent time with him. She wanted him back.

Why had she been so stupid? Why had she broken up with him? He would have gone with them if she hadn't. He would have followed them to Forks. He would have followed her. Why? Why had she been so stupid?

Her mobile rang and Rachel ignored it for a moment. But it kept ringing for a while and then stopped, only to start ringing again.

With a sigh she picked up while rubbing her tears away. "Rachel Grey speaking."

"_Hey, sweetheart._" It was Janet. "_How is everything going so far?_"

Even though Rachel was still pretty angry at her for bringing the subject up this morning, she just needed to tell someone. "Horrible," she said while the tears started falling again. "Everyone is so noisy and I can't keep them out and it feels like my head is going to explode. And I just want to go home."

"_I wish I could pick you up but I can't and you know that too._"

"I want to go back to France," cried Rachel.

Janet sighed sadly. "_I know, sweetheart. I know._"

"And I'm so stupid. I should never have left him. I should never have broken it off."

"_It will get better_," promised Janet. "_Right now it doesn't feel like it will but trust me, it will get better and it will get easier. Sooner or later you will get over him and find a new sweet guy. Just wait and see. It only needs time._"

"I don't want to give it time. I want it to stop. All of it. The pain, the chaos, the headache. I just want it all gone."

Janet sighed yet again. "_You just need to find some peace. Just take it easy. You still have a view minutes to be alone and away from all the thoughts, right? Just give your mind some peace and quietness and you will see that everything will get better._"

"Not everything," whispered Rachel who once again felt her heartache.

"_Have you made any friends yet?_" asked Janet to change the subject.

"Not really. They're trying to be nice and all and they're very helpful, too helpful even. But it isn't their fault, it's mine. I don't want to make new friends. I just want to be left alone."

"_If you make friends you will notice that going to school and surviving it will get easier. A lot easier._"

"Not when most of the group is either being nice to you because you're the new girl. I swear, most of the girls are just being nice to me because they want to have me as a friend so they can get more popular. And the boys here are way oversexed. They're just disgusting. And they're only being nice to me because they hope I will be their new girlfriend. Only when hell freezes."

"_I only hear reasons from you to hold back. What are your reasons to just give it a try and see where this ship strands?_"

Rachel frowned. "What do you mean?"

"_You still have a year and a half to go before you're finally graduated. That's quite a long time. You really want to spend all that time on your own and without friends?_"

"It's safer."

"_For who? For them or for you?_"

"For them."

"_You're afraid that you will hurt them with your powers but in reality there is nothing to worry about, honey. You're perfectly in control. Or else it would have gone bad already many many times. And nothing has happened for already a long time._"

Rachel didn't go against her this time. Charles and Janet were quite obvious about the control she had over her powers. They thought that because nothing happened that she had control. In truth nothing happened because she suppressed them. Which was a bad thing.

"I recall something happened after we had just moved to France," pointed Rachel out. "And I also recall that you said the same thing back then. That nothing has happened in a while doesn't mean that something can't happen. Being careful is a wise thing in my situation."

"_There's a difference in being careful and what you are._"

"_Janet, can you help me with a patient?_" asked a male voice at the other side of the phone.

"_Of course. Just a moment_," was Janet's answer before turning to Rachel again. "_Listen, honey. I need to go but just think about what I said. And just stay strong. Everything will be just fine._"

Rachel rolled with her eyes. "Whatever."

"_I won't be back until late tonight and for Charles goes the same. So you're home alone. You think you will be okay?_"

"Sure," was Rachel's answer. "Bye, Janet."

"_Bye, honey. I love you._"

Rachel just hang up and put her phone away. After that she stared towards the sky. It was grey and it looked it could start raining again in any minute.

She just hoped that the last view classes would pass by quickly so she could go home and leave this chaos and fuss behind.


	4. Strangest Boy Ever

**Hi, hi!** **How is everyone doing? **

**I probably should have updated a little sooner. I'm truly sorry.**

**For all you who sent me reviews, thank you so much. And with special thanks to . I've read the things you pointed out back and you're completely right. I hope I've done better in this chapter. Really thank you for pointing that out.**

**I hope all my readers will notice in this chapter that Rachel is not anything like Bella. And for the ones who are French and reading this, I apologize. I can't speak French and have used a translater to get some French words. If it's wrong, I apologize.**

**Again, I would appreciated it if you find grammar or spelling errors, you let me know it. My native tongue is Dutch, which is nothing like English, and I'm not perfect so I make mistakes. Personally I like English better. It's more polite.**

**I also hope that you will all enjoy this chapter. Please tell me in a review what you liked and what you didn't. I really really like reviews. They make my day.**

**And how more reviews I get, how faster I will update. Just like last time. And if you are confused about something or you don't get something, just message me and ask. It can happen that I'm not being clear about something.**

**I don't own Twilight or its character. Stehpenie Meyer does. I do own Rachel, Charles, Janet and Jessamine. And the the story plot that isn't the original one.**

**Enjoy the chapter.**

**XxX Emmetje**

* * *

New Girl in Town

Chapter 3

Strangest Boy Ever

* * *

Rachel didn't move a muscle when the bell started ringing. Maybe if she would just keep sitting there people would forget she even existed and forget about her. And she could go just home if they did.

It was a crazy thought and unlikely to happen, she realised just shortly after that. And of course it had to be Mike who came looking for her.

"Hi."

"Hi. What's up?"

"You've got Biology now, right? Jessica said something like that."

Rachel nodded. "She was right."

"Cool. I've got Biology now too. I will walk you."

Rachel forced a smile on her face while standing up. "Great."

"Mr. Banner is a great guy. I'm sure you will like him a lot."

Rachel hoisted her bag better over her shoulder. "If you say so."

"Hey, is everything okay? You look a little tense."

"I'm the new girl, remember?" was Rachel's answer. "It's something you can be tense about."

She and Mike followed the crowd of students. Every single one of them was also going to his or her next class. Mike did yet another desperate try to get a conversation started with her. "So... Do you speak French well?"

Rachel gave him a dry look. "I lived there for three and a half years. What do you think?"

Mike laughed a little nervously. "I take that as a yes." He scratched the back of his neck. "I can't speak it. The only things I can say in French are yes and no but for the rest? It's just not my language, you know?"

Rachel didn't give him an answer and just stared straight ahead. This guy looked like a little lost Golden Retriever Puppy. And if he had been a real puppy she would have loved him and found him cute but what he was was anything but cute and loveable.

He entered the classroom where they had Biology first and Rachel followed him, waiting just a little longer so there was some distance between them.

"Hello, Mr. Banner," greeted Mike.

"Hello, Mike," greeted the teacher back.

Mike made a gesture towards Rachel and then walked away. Rachel walked slowly towards Mr. Banner's desk and noticed that Edward Cullen was in her Biology class too. She also noticed that the only empty seat in the class was beside him. Just her luck.

When she passed fan that was standing close to Mr. Banner's desk, she saw the expression on his face change. He had stared at her with a slight frown but also with curiosity in his eyes, as if he had tried yet again to figure something out. But the moment she had walked past the fan, that completely changed. His whole body tensed up and he pressed a hand against his mouth and it looked like he was holding his breath. That wasn't all. The curiosity had disappeared and was replaced by anger and hostility.

Rachel felt the shivers run down her shine again and she quickly looked away. Her gut told her to run as hard and as far away as possible.

"Ah," said Mr. Banner when he saw her. His cheeks were slightly coloured. "I assume you must be the new student. Miss Grey."

Rachel nodded and gave him the paper he had to sign. She had to do her best to keep her hand from trembling. She was scared.

Mr. Banner signed the paper and gave it back to her. "Welcome to the class," he said while giving her also a book. "I hope the subjects we will follow aren't too easy for you. I know that they give in France a more advantaged Biology."

"I'm sure it will be fine," said Rachel in a small voice.

Mr. Banner smiled and she noticed that he had reddened even more. "And there is a seat for you."

He pointed towards the empty seat beside the still hostile looking Edward Cullen and Rachel nodded and walked towards it. She took as careful as was possible place beside him and pushed her chair a little further away from him after she had taken her place.

"Okay, guys," said Mr. Banner. "Today we're going to observe the behaviour of planarian aka flatworms."

Rachel glanced at Edward and so that he was still pressing his hand in front of his mouth and nose. He looked back at her and her heart started to beat faster when she saw that his topaz coloured eyes were pitch black. How had that happened?

He moved a little more away from her, just like she had done moments before, and he looked anxious to get away from her. He also looked like he was smelling something he absolutely couldn't stand.

She frowned and pushed her hair over one shoulder so she could smell it. It smelt like roses and strawberry, the smell of her shampoo. So unless he really hated the smell of those two delicious smelling things, it couldn't possibly be her that he found reeking.

Mr. Banner put two glass jars on their table while giving more instructions to the class. Edward pushed one of them towards her, without coming too close, and then took hold of his own and put it as far away from her as possible.

Rachel went over other possibilities over what could be reeking so much. Had she used too much perfume this morning perhaps? No, she hadn't even used any. And she had put on fresh clothes so that couldn't be it either. Maybe she smelled like sweat. She had already had sports. But hadn't she used quite a lot of deodorant? Maybe that was it. She smelled like deodorant. But shouldn't that have already worn down by now?

Rachel glanced at Edward again and saw that he was looking right back. The look in his eyes wasn't only hostile and angry anymore but also hungry. He looked like he could eat her alive. How creepy.

She quickly looked away again and didn't look at him again throughout the whole class. She just paid attention to Mr. Banner even though she had already had this subject.

When the bell rang Edward Cullen didn't know how fast he had to get out of the classroom and away from her and Rachel frowned while looking after him. Seriously, what was his problem?

She took her time to gather her stuff and after making a quick chitchat with Mr. Banner about the lesson, she walked out of the room.

She almost immediately came eye to eye with another Cullen. This time it was the bear. He stared at her but the moment he opened his mouth to say something, she pushed past him and started walking towards her next class: Spanish.

"Hey, wait up!" he called after her and much to her dismay he started walking beside her. Rachel didn't look at him and she didn't say anything either. "You're the new girl, right?" She gave a short and stiff nod as answer. "Well, welcome in Forks. How do you like it here so far?"

"It's cold and wet and there're all kind of weird people walking around," was Rachel's cold answer. "Like the idiot who wants to play matchmaker together with his weird sister and couple me to their arrogant and even weirder brother." She gave him an even colder look. "For the rest I absolutely love it here. Oh, wait. That's a lie." He blinked. "Now if you would excuse me, I need to get to my next class and unlike other people, I try to be on time."

She pushed past him again and this time he let her. She felt how he stared after her and she had the feeling that this wouldn't be the last time Emmett Cullen would try to talk to her.

* * *

After her last class had ended too, Rachel walked back towards the office of the secretary and luckily it was all on her own. Of course she couldn't escape the stares of the other students but at least no one insisted to walk her this time.

When she pushed the doors of the office open she stopped dead in her tracks because she found Edward Cullen there and he was talking to the woman in the purple blouse who helped her that morning too.

"There must be something else open. Physics, chemistry perhaps?"

"I'm really sorry but every class is full," said the woman who then noticed Rachel coming in. "Just a moment, dear." She turned to Edward again. "I'm afraid you will have to stay in Biology."

Rachel was nailed to the ground when she saw Edward looking slowly over his shoulder towards her. There it was again: the hunger, the anger and the hostility.

"Fine," he said with his teeth slammed unto each other. "I'll just have to endure it."

He walked out of the office and past Rachel but not before giving her another angry look. Rachel swallowed before walking towards the desk of the secretary.

"How was your day, dearie?"

"Fine," was Rachel's short answer.

She handed her all the papers and after a quick goodbye, she left again. She walked towards her locker, placed the books she didn't need the next day and where she didn't have homework for in it and grabbed her coat.

She was in a slight hurry because her anger had gotten the best of herself. What the hell was his problem? She wanted to know because she had done nothing to him, hadn't even said a word, and he was looking like he hated her.

"Rachel! Hey, Rachel! Wait up!" called Mike who came running after her.

Rachel rolled her eyes and didn't stop. Her headache had gotten even worse and she was getting tired of hearing his disgusting thoughts and the thoughts of all the other guys at school. Well, almost all the other guys.

"Hey, are you feeling up to go out tonight?" asked Mike the moment he had succeeded in walking up on her.

Rachel raised an eyebrow. "To go out?"

"Yeah, to get something to eat together or catch a movie or maybe even go to a club. Together with me –" Rachel's eyebrow went even further up. "– and some others."

"Sorry, but I've got quite a headache so I really just want to go home and stay home. Go to bed early, you know."

"Oh, okay. I will you tomorrow then," said Mike who didn't really succeed in hiding his disappointment.

"Right. Tomorrow."

Mike walked off and Rachel scanned the parking lot. Edward Cullen was nowhere in sight. The other four Cullens however were. Emmett was looking at her.

She took a deep breath and walked full with confidence towards him, causing Emmett to blink surprised and the other three to stop talking and look at her too.

"If you see that arrogant brother of yours tell him to suck it up and get over whatever problem he has with me. I didn't do anything or say anything to him so there's no reason why he should try to just drop out of Biology just because we've that class together or to look at me like he hates me and wants to murder me and enjoy every single minute of it."

"I'll give him the message," said Emmett very carefully.

Rachel turned around and walked away. Her heart was beating way too fast and too loud in her chest and she had just stepped over the boundaries of her comfort zone but she really didn't like people who hated her for no reason.

She stopped dead in her tracks when she saw a familiar person standing beside her Mini. "Charles?"

Charles smiled amused. "I see you have already made enemies."

Rachel rolled her eyes while taking the last view steps so she was standing beside him. "It's not my fault the asshole acts like he hates me."

"Oh, you've spend too much time with..." He cut of his sentence when he saw that Rachel was giving him a warning look. "He has rubbed off on you."

"What are you doing here, Charles?"

"Asking you how your first school day was but I think I already have an idea."

"It was hell, probably even worse," said Rachel. "And I've got a headache so bad that I want to grab a saw and saw my head off my neck."

"You always get those headaches on your first school day," pointed Charles out before jumping a little as Rachel threw her bag into the car and slammed the door close again. "Okay, someone is in a really bad mood."

Rachel snorted. "Understatement of the year."

"I see you're quite popular, even though you didn't want to be that again," said Charles, glancing at all the boys in the parking lot that were staring at her.

"I hate it! I swear, the boys here bring being teenager to a whole new level!" gritted Rachel through her teeth.

Charles put an arm around her shoulder with a smile. "Knowing you, you will survive it."

"I'm not so sure about that yet. The boys here are very oversexed and that's saying something because I'm quite used to someone being oversexed."

Tears appeared in her eyes and she softly cursed herself when she thought of her ex again. Charles noticed it too and changed the subject. "So who are those new enemies of yours?"

"The Cullens."

"The Cullens?" asked Charles. "As in the children of Dr. Cullen?"

"Foster children," was Rachel's direct correction. "Yeah. What do you know about them?"

"Not much. Janet works with Dr. Cullen and they don't cause much trouble. Why do you want to know?"

Rachel glanced at the four who were whispering things to each other. "They're something really weird about them. And they're not healthy pale. It's almost as if they're dead." Four heads suddenly snapped towards her direction and four pair of gaping eyes stared at her. "See. Weird, right? It's almost as if they heard me."

"Rachel, you're being paranoid."

Rachel frowned when he said that. Yeah, maybe she was. Maybe she had spent too much time with her ex. "You're probably right." She looked away from the Cullens who looked suddenly relieved. "I'm probably just seeing things. So, has anything exciting happened yet on your first day here?"

"Not really. It was actually pretty boring. An almost hit and run, an interrogation and a view tickets for driving too fast but that was pretty much it."

"You probably will have to get used to things being boring again, after all those animal attacks we had back in France."

Charles nodded. "Yeah, you're probably right."

"So, are you working now too or are you on a late lunch break?"

"I'm on lunch break. So I was thinking maybe we could grab something to eat before I go back to work again. And maybe you could go visit Janet afterwards. She was pretty upset this morning that you left so suddenly."

"She shouldn't have brought him up," said Rachel with a hurt look on her face.

"She just wants to see you happy again," said Charles. Rachel gave him a cold look so he dropped it again. "Anyway, I met this man today. His name is Billy Black and he has a son around your age. He invited us to come over and have dinner with him and his son this weekend. What do you think?"

Rachel shrugged. "Why not? Where do they live?"

"In La Push."

Rachel crooked an eyebrow. "La Push?"

"It's a beach. Or actually it's an area where only Indians live."

Rachel crooked her eyebrow even more. "Indians? Your new found friend is an Indian?"

"I hadn't expect you to be so cynic about Indians, Rachel," said Charles. "You surprise me."

"I'm not being cynic. I don't care what they are. For my part they are an gay Indian tribe. I just didn't know that there's an Indian tribe living here."

"They are named the Quileute Tribe," said Charles with a small smile. "And I seriously doubt that they're gay."

"Right."

"Maybe you could go take a look there this afternoon. Hiking always did calm you down."

"I will think about it." She glanced around but there wasn't a police car in sight. "How did you get here?"

"A colleague of mine gave me a ride. Maybe you could give me a ride back to the office?"

Rachel rolled her eyes. "Because you ask so nicely."

"Yep, you really spent too much time around him."

Rachel pushed him towards the passenger's seat, a little more roughly then she normally would but she really didn't like the fact that he brought her ex up again.

"Okay, okay. I got it."

Rachel stepped behind the wheel without saying a word but shot a quick glance towards the four Cullens before she drove onto the road. They were all still staring at her, a little worried and a little curious. And Edward Cullen was still nowhere in sight.

* * *

After she had eaten something with Charles in a diner called the Lodge, Rachel gave him a ride back to the police office and went home afterwards.

The house Charles and Janet had bought was quite beautiful. It was a small, white two-story Victorian house with quite a big garden and a big front yard that they mostly used as parking spaces.

The living room, the loo, the kitchen and her father's study were on the ground floor. Two bedrooms and a bathroom were found on the first floor and the second floor was just an attic that Rachel used as a place where she could paint.

When Rachel stepped into the hallway the only sound she heard was the sound of her own breathing. She was home alone and she would stay alone for already quite a while.

She was often alone as Charles and Janet both had very important jobs. Rachel had stopped disliking that for already quite a while. It was just how things were.

She dumped her shoes, coat and bag in the hallway and walked towards the living room. It was a bright room and the walls were painted yellow (Janet's idea). There was one couch and two fauteuils standing in a quadrate around a coffee table. There was also a fireplace and above it was the television.

Rachel let herself fall down on the couch and stared out of the windows. The couch was standing exactly opposite. Her headache started to disappear slowly now that she was alone and had some peace and quietness around her.

Or so she thought.

The phone rang and with a groan she got up and walked towards the hallway. "Grey residence, this is Rachel."

"_Rachel, hi._"

Rachel crooked an eyebrow. "Eric, how the hell did you get this number?"

"_I'm the eyes and ears of this school, remember?" _Rachel remained silent._ "Anyway, I was wondering if you felt like..._"

She knew where this was going and stopped him before he had the chance to finish his sentence. "What? Can you repeat that? I can't hear you properly. I think there is an interference with this line."

"_I said that I was the eyes and ears of the school_," repeated Eric.

"Yeah, I'm not hearing anything right now. If you can hear me, I'm really sorry but I'm going to hang up. See ya tomorrow, okay? Bye."

She quickly ended the phone call before giving a frustrated scream. "Annoying little bastards they are! Why can't they just leave me alone?!"

While cursing boys and the men population some more Rachel made herself some tea and then returned to the living room.

She watched television for a while but got bored and finally decided to ring her best friend from France to see how she was doing.

The phone went over and again and again. And then finally. "_Ello?_"

"Jessamine?"

A loud sequel was heard at the other side of the line. "_Rachel, chéri!_"

"Hello to you too, Jessamine."

Jessamine immediately went over in English. "O_h, I miss you so much, Elle. Everyone misses you. What's Forks like?_"

"Cold, rainy, boring. I hate it here," said Rachel. "The people here are weird."

"_Typique_," said Jessamine. "_They're Americans._"

"You know I'm one too from origin, right?"

"_Nah, you're more Française then American._" Rachel smiled a little. Jessamine wasn't for no reason her best friend. "_But tell me all about it. I'm all ears. Don't tell me Charles and Janet bought some weird yellow house, s'il vous plait._"

Rachel smiled. "It's white."

"_Merci Dieu!_"

Rachel felt her eyes tear up. "I miss you too, Jessa. And I wish I was back there with you all. Or that you were here. I need a friend so badly."

"_I promise I will visit soon because you sound almost desperate. Pinky Jure. Now, let your heart speak and start complaining. It helps._"


	5. Second Day

**Hi there, people.**

**I know, it took a while for me to update. I've been very busy. School, work, more school, I was sick for a view days too (bloody flu). But the update is now up and I hope you'll like it.**

**ShadowsOfTheDay, thank you so much for your review. You were the only one who reviewed the last chapter so really, thank you. **

**I'm still not sure when I will update again. I hope next Saturday but I can't say for sure. I still haven't finished that much chapters yet.**

**Anway, enjoy the chapter and review please. PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE!**

**XxX Emmetje**

* * *

New Girl in Town

Chapter 4

Second Day

* * *

After a long conversation with Jessamine, Rachel went upstairs and did her homework. When she had finished all of it, she went up another stairs and started painting.

She always painted when she was feeling sad or when she missed something. It wasn't that odd that she started painting France, her old house, her friends, her favourite spot on the beach, the forest close by her old house and of course her ex.

She had just stopped painting and was just sitting on the couch again when Janet finally came home. "Hey, honey," she greeted.

"Hey, Janet," muttered Rachel while zapping through the channels. Another dislike point, the bad cable and receipt in this bloody town. "How was work?"

"Oh, it was so much fun! Well, of course not for the patients but for me it was. There were a view broken bones that I had to splint and there was a head wound that was so incredible interesting!" Janet sat down beside her, again with a bright smile on her face. "But my day doesn't matter. Tell me about your school. What are the kids like? Were they just as nice and welcoming as I told you they would be? Were there any cute guys?"

Rachel rolled with her eyes while zapping on. "Well, there're all very welcoming and helpful."

"Oh, that doesn't sound good," said Janet with concern in her voice. "Tell me all about it."

Rachel shut off the television and leaned back with her arms over each other. "It doesn't even matter."

"Of course it does, honey. Tell me."

Rachel sighed heavily. "There was just one boy that kept looking at me like he really hated me and I didn't even do anything. I didn't even talk to the guy."

"And does this guy have a name?" wanted Janet to know.

"Yeah, his name is Edward. How old fashioned is that. He's one of the foster kids of Dr. Cullen."

Janet looked confused. "And you're positive it was him?"

Rachel gave her an annoyed look. "Yes, Janet, I'm positive it was him. The Cullen kids aren't exactly the kind of people where gossip girl Jessica would be mistaken about. Especially not Edward because she is all over him and is embarrassed because he rejected her. I think she was able to tell me the right Cullen from another."

"That's just so odd," said Janet. "I talked to Dr. Cullen about his kids and he told me they were all very nice."

"Well, maybe he was wrong. He probably didn't tell you either that they are all really weird and that I can't read Edward's mind."

"Honey, don't be like that," pleaded Janet. "I'm sure everything will be just fine. It probably just wasn't his day."

Rachel now gave her a look like she had gone crazy. "Janet, he looked at me like he hated me. Like I was the most evil person in the whole world and that he would gladly kill me and enjoy every single minute of it. And he looked so hostile that I think he would have snapped if I even had said hi."

"You don't know for sure if that's true. I mean, you couldn't read his mind. Maybe it is just his normal expression."

"Will you stop that already?" snapped Rachel. "You don't even know the guy yet you are standing up for him. Just because your precious Dr. Cullen told you how nice and incredible his children are? Come on, who's side are you really on?"

"I'm on your side," said Janet quickly. "And I'm not standing up for anyone. I just think it's odd that someone can be so different then his own father has described him."

"He's his foster dad, not his real," said Rachel while standing up. "And people can be wrong about other people."

"Where are you going?" begged Janet.

"To bed. I'm tired," was Rachel's short response.

She didn't wish Janet a good night, she was still angry. She knew she hurt Janet by doing so, she had hurt her already quite a bit in the last view weeks. She just didn't really care at the moment. She was angry at her and Charles, at the world and mostly at herself.

The moment she closed the door behind her, she lost it. She sat down on the ground with her back against the door and the tears started to flow over her cheeks.

She didn't like being so mean. She didn't like hurting Janet. But she just seemed unable to stop it. It just seemed she just couldn't say anything without hurting her. Because whenever Janet said something, she always got the wrong expression from it.

After crying for a view moments on the ground she forced herself up and towards her bed. She just let herself fall on it and crawled under the covers. And there she cried some more.

* * *

The next morning went pretty much like the previous morning. Her alarm went off, she slammed her fist on top of it to make it shut up, Janet called from downstairs that she had to get up because breakfast was ready and she didn't want to be late and Rachel got dressed while really not looking forward for another day of school.

When she came down the stairs Janet was already in the hallway and getting ready to leave. "Has Charles already left again?"

"Yes. Listen, sweetheart. It will be late again tonight. And I'm not sure Charles will even come home tonight," said Janet while putting her coat on. "Maybe you could come down to the hospital after school. Maybe I can a late break and we can eat something in the cafeteria there."

Rachel shrugged. "I will think about it."

"Oh, and could you go to the supermarket? We're running out of stocks."

"Sure."

Rachel walked into the kitchen and started to make her breakfast. Janet followed her into the kitchen. "Seeing as you've the house to your own again, why don't ask a view nice girls from school to come over to watch a movie? It's a great way to get to know each other better."

"I don't want to get to know them better," was Rachel's cold response. "Besides, I really don't want anyone of school to come here. I'll be fine on my own."

Janet sighed deeply and caressed Rachel's hair. "Just try to be social for once. It doesn't cost anything and it will only make you will feel better."

Rachel didn't answer her so Janet sighed again, placed a kiss on the side of Rachel's head and left to go to her work.

After a quick breakfast, Rachel left too only to go to school. There she parked her car as far away from the entrance as possible and leaned against it while reading a book she had gotten as a goodbye present, with her earplugs in her ears. She just had to wait until the bell went, telling everyone that classes were getting started.

She wasn't too sure if Emmett had passed her message over to Edward. She wouldn't be surprised if he had forgotten about it or if he had just decided to go against her and not tell him at all.

Whatever it was and if he gotten her message or not, she would tell him exactly how she felt about his behaviour from the previous day.

Her attention was drawn away from her book when two cars passed her: a jeep and a red convertible. In the red convertible car were sitting Rosalie and Alice Cullen. Emmett was standing in the open back of the jeep so she guessed the last two members were in the front.

She was wrong. But when the door opened, only Jasper Cullen stepped out. His fingers immediately intertwined with Alice's fingers while Emmett jumped off the jeep and put an arm around Rosalie's shoulders.

Jessica could say whatever she wanted about that it was weird that they dated each other while they were practically siblings and lived together, at least they were happy together. It didn't matter who you were with, as long as that person made you happy.

Rachel had to blink to keep the tears that had formed themselves in her eyes back. She wasn't happy and she doubted she would ever be happy again.

She forced herself to think about something else. Maybe he had fallen ill. Or maybe Emmett had passed her message and he had decided it was better to just stay home and away from her. Or maybe he had died. The latter wouldn't come as much as a surprise. They were all so pale that if they lay still and pretended to be dead, she would have actually thought that they were corpses.

No, it wouldn't come as much of a surprise if any of them suddenly died. They all did look like they had some terrible decease. What else could cause them to be so pale?

"Rachel," she heard someone call in the distance.

She didn't respond, only when something was thrown against her. Tyler had thrown a piece of candy at her and when he saw her looking he mentioned that she should join him and the others that were standing near his black minivan, also waiting for the bell to ring.

Jessica, Mike, Eric and Angela were among them and both Eric and Mike smiled hopefully. Of course they smiled hopefully. They wanted her to come and join them and were hoping that the answer was yes. Boy, did she had to disappoint them.

She shook her head and showed them that she had a good book and looked away after that. Jasper and Alice were taking their time while Rosalie and Emmett had long disappeared into school.

Much to her shock, she saw that they were looking over their shoulders to her when she looked at them too. The moment they saw she was looking back they turned their heads away again and disappeared into school too.

The rest of the day Rachel tried to think as little as possible of Edward Cullen and stopped herself several times from looking towards the rest of the Cullens.

Luckily her second day was a lot easier than her first. People didn't stare as much anymore and a view more students finally found the courage to introduce themselves to her and walk with her to her classes.

After school she decided to try and make it up to Janet and she drove towards the hospital. It was a lot bigger then she had expected and finding Janet wouldn't be easy.

While she was looking and asking a view people if they had seen her, she saw a man that caused her to be nailed to the ground. A young doctor with blond hair, a unhealthy white skin and topaz coloured eyes. No doubt that this man was Dr. Cullen.

As if he noticed her staring at him, he turned around and looked at her. He frowned slightly, probably because he recognized the fear in her eyes. That was just for a moment because after that a smile magically appeared on his face.

She couldn't help but take a step back when he walked towards her. "Can I help with anything?"

Rachel swallowed. "I'm looking for Janet."

"You must be Rachel then," was his immediately conclusion.

"Yeah..."

"I heard a lot about you."

"From Janet or from your children?" was Rachel's question. It had slipped over her lips before she had even really thought about it. "You're Dr. Cullen, right?"

Dr. Cullen smiled. "Indeed I am."

But he didn't answer her question and she wanted to know. "So?"

He looked confused. "So what?"

"Who told you so much about me? Janet or one of your kids?"

"Both," was his careful answer.

"I guess they didn't exactly tell you much good over me."

"And why would you think that?"

"Edward pretty much seemed to hate me," was Rachel's answer, as if that should be obvious. "He even tried to switch classes so he wouldn't have to be in the same class as me. And now he suddenly isn't at school anymore. Is that because of me too or has he just gotten ill?"

"I'm sure you misjudged Edward's feelings towards you." Rachel frowned. That sounded really old-fashioned. "He doesn't hate you."

Rachel gave him a dry look. "He sure tried very hard to make it look that way." Dr. Cullen didn't respond to that. "So, has he fallen ill?"

"Something like that..."

"Nothing serious, I hope?"

Dr. Cullen frowned a little. "Now why would ask that?"

"No offence or anything but from what I've seen you Cullens are all really pale. I mean, not healthy pale. Like you could drop dead in any second pale. I mean, seriously! You guess look like walking dead people. Being that pale just can't be healthy."

Dr. Cullen waved it off with a smile. "Our skins just possess very little pigment. It's nothing life threatening. As for Edward, he just didn't feel so well. He hasn't been feeling very well lately and today it just gotten worse. So it has nothing to do with you."

"Right." Rachel didn't try very hard to make it look like she bought that story. "I hope he gets better soon."

"I will tell him you said that," said Dr. Cullen with a careful smile. "Janet is in the plaster room, by the way. She should be nearly done."

"And the plaster room is exactly where?"

"Down the hallway and then the last door at your right."

"Thanks."

She quickly started walking away from him but he wasn't done with her yet. "Oh, Rachel?" She stopped and turned around. "Yes?"

"It was nice meeting you."

"I wish I could say the same," said Rachel. "But I keep having the feeling that almost everything you just told me was a lie." Dr. Cullen frowned. "I'm not stupid, Dr. Cullen. And I'm good at reading people so trust me when I say that I know when someone is lying to me and when not. And I don't like people that lie to me."

She walked on and luckily she wasn't called back by him this time. She had tried to read his mind but he had been really careful with what he had been thinking around her, just like his kids had been too.

And there was another thing that bugged her. When he had walked towards her he had thought: "_I understand why Edward had so much trouble around her. Even the air around her screams that she is different._"

Much else she hadn't gotten from him because after that his thoughts had been careful and wisely picked, just like most of his words. That Cullen family was hiding something and she started to become curious about what exactly it was.

Rachel reached the last door down the hallway on her right and knocked. "Come on in."

She pushed it open and glanced around the corner. "Is this a bad time? I can wait if I have to."

Janet gave her a delighted smile when she saw her. The man who's leg she was plastering didn't seem to mind much either and looked curious at her.

"I'm nearly done," told Janet her. "After that we can grab something to eat. I got my late break."

"I will be down in the cafeteria," said Rachel.

She closed the door again and walked away to where she knew the cafeteria was. She had already been there three times while looking for someone who could tell her where Janet was.

The cafeteria wasn't very crowded and she picked a table near a large window so she could look outside. It had started raining again.

Janet joined her fine minutes later and after grabbing both something to eat, they sat down again. "So how was school today?"

"It was okay," said Rachel while looking at the liquid in her cup that was her tea. "Shutting the thoughts out wasn't as hard as it was yesterday. And there were more people that introduced themselves and who offered to walk with me to my next classes. And people didn't stare as much as they did yesterday."

"Sounds like you had a great time," smiled Janet. "You met more teachers too?" Rachel shook her head as an answer. "Charles called me this afternoon. He told you that he met Billy Black right?" Rachel nodded. "Well, we're going to dine with him and his son tomorrow. Is that okay with you too?"

"Sure," mumbled Rachel. "I've no other plans anyway." She sighed deeply. "Listen, Janet. I'm sorry I'm being so mean lately. It's just…"

Janet smiled sadly and took Rachel's hand in hers and pinched it softly. "I know, sweetheart. It's hard for you. A new town, a new house, a new school. But you just have to give it time. You will see you'll get used to it in no time."

"It's not just that," said Rachel who kept her eyes focussed on her tea. "I mean, I always find it hard when we move again. And I always need time to get used to everything. But this time it's harder because..." She swallowed and Janet pinched her hand again softly. Rachel looked up at her, tears sparkling in her eyes. "I just miss him so much, Janet."

"I know, sweetheart."

"And it's just so hard, needing to go on without him. I mean, I saw him every day because he lived with us. I was so used to having him around and now he's just gone. It's odd and..."

"You miss him," said Janet.

Rachel nodded and her voice was trembling when she said: "I think I made a mistake by breaking up with him."

"Then why did you do it?" asked Janet softly.

"Because I knew how he felt about..." She cut herself off and remained silent for a moment before continuing: "I just didn't want to force him into anything. And I wanted to give him the choice to find someone else."

Janet clearly didn't understand that. "Why?"

"Because he could have had anyone. Why would he then have chosen me: a plain looking girl from a small town who was way younger than him?"

"Honey, you're not plain," said Janet immediately. "You're the most special girl in the whole world. And every single person who knows you will tell you that."

Rachel rubbed in her eyes, forcing the tears back again. "Who is that Jacob anyway?" she asked to change the subject again. "I don't even know who he is."

"Oh, he doesn't go to your school. But from what I heard he's a fine young man. Very good..."

Rachel cut her off. "Janet, he's not a dog. And that he isn't going to my school is part of the reason why I think it's so weird. It's just odd, you know?"

"The Black's are one of the remaining Indian families in America. Jacob goes to a private school in the reservation. How is that odd?"

"Because there's something mysterious about them and about this whole town. The air here is filled with secrets and I hate it when there are a lot of secrets in the area around me. Because I'm always the one who gets tangled up in them."

Janet suddenly smiled knowingly. "This is about a boy, isn't it?"

"No," was Rachel's immediate answer but Janet just kept smiling at her. "Maybe." Janet's smile now widened. "This is about the Cullens and the fact that I can't read Edward's mind. And the rest of the family all have found a way to think without saying too much. Almost as if they know I can hear them. It's giving me trouble to find the answers I want to find."

"And you're frustrated that you can't properly read their minds."

"Yes!" said Rachel, relieved that Janet finally got it. "They're hiding something, Janet. I just know they are. And there is more to them then you would say at the first look."

"And it has nothing to do with the fact that you like Edward a tiny bit?" asked Janet sweetly.

"What?" Rachel pulled a weird face. "No, absolutely not! He's arrogant and annoys me and he hates for no reason."

"Now you sound like a married woman," laughed Janet.

"That's not funny, Janet!" snapped Rachel.

"Okay, okay," smiled Janet. "Ease up. If it really bothers you so much, why don't you write Jane about it? I'm sure she will understand. Or maybe you should just call Aro. If there's really something extraordinary about the Cullen family, which I seriously doubt, then he will be able to tell you what."

Rachel looked a little doubtful, not looking forward to either call or write a view of her friends from Volterra. "I don't know. I don't want to bother them with it. It's more a private matter, you know? Besides, they've already done so much for me. More than I could ever do for them. But maybe I should write Jane. I haven't spoken to her in a while."

Janet smiled pleased. "And don't you worry about that boy. I'm sure he will figure out sooner or later that you like him."

"I do not like him!" snapped Rachel annoyed. "I only met him yesterday and today he wasn't at school because he has fallen ill."

"You're in denial, Rachel. But it's nothing to worry about. You will figure it out soon and when you have, there's no denying it afterwards. But tell me: how does he look? Is he nice? Muscular? Slim? Hot as hell?" Rachel gave a frustrated scream and grabbed her bag and walked away. "I love you, sweetheart," called Janet after her.

Rachel ignored her completely. That she had even tried. She should have known better than that.


	6. Look Who Is Back And Being Nice

**Hi there people!**

**I'm a day late because I said I would update on Saturday, didn't I? So sorry. Yesterday I had to work and it was a bit hectic so by the time I got home, I was completely worn out and haven't done much except listening to a bit of music and doing, well, nothing.**

**Thank you for all of you who reviewed. I love you guys! And ****I will tell you guys a bit because I love you so much for reviewing. I always try to answer the questions of the people who were kind enough to review. So...**

**It will take a while before Edward finally finds out that Rachel can read minds. He first will have a hunch but she won't confirm it until a much later chapter.**

**Janet is supposed to be a little irritating. I mean, have you guys ever met someone who is always cheerful? I have and trust me, they drive you crazy! It will get better in later chapters but for now she will be irritating. **

**Oh, and yes. Rachel is friends with the Volturi. A bit Mary Sue, I know, but Rachel is special and whenever someone is special, the Volturi make sure that that persons knows them and have some kind of attached to them. This is also the case in Rachel's case but you will find out much more about that in a future chapter.**

**I'm not too sure when I will update. My brithday is this Wednesday so I have a very busy view weeks lying a head of me with people that come to visit and all that stuff. I hope it will be soon.**

**Anyway, on with the new chapter. The title already gives it away. Edward will come back in this chapter. And Rachel isn't very happy about it at first. **

**Also for the ones who are curious, I made a banner (don't expect too much of it, I'm not very good at making them). The link is on my profile. Check it out if you're curious.**

**I hope you guys will enjoy this chapter and please review! **

**XxX Emmetje**

* * *

New Girl in Town

Chapter 5

Look Who Is Back And Being Nice

* * *

The next day was another no show. Just like the other two days. Rachel would have started to stop worrying about it and forget about him, hadn't it been for the fact that things got a little strange: the four other Cullen kids kept staring at her.

Alice and Rosalie looked slightly curious and Rachel got more than once the feeling that Alice knew things she couldn't possibly know. Things that had yet to happen.

Emmett and Jasper didn't look half as friendly. Especially Jasper, who always looked a little weary at her, even angry. As if she could help it that his brother had fallen ill.

She also was finally finding her place at school. She still kept her distance but she had given up the hopes of being left alone. Jessica, Mike, Eric and Tyler were way too obstructive for that and her conversations with the shy Angela, she actually enjoyed.

She started recognizing more people too and even though she didn't remember all of their names, she started to learn. They greeted and waved at her whenever they saw her and she politely waved back.

Dinner with the Black's hadn't been nearly as bad as Rachel had thought it would. Billy Black was a friendly man in a wheelchair and Rachel immediately understood why Charles got along with him so well: the two looked a lot like each other.

Jacob wasn't that bad either. He was one year younger than her and she felt some weird connection with him. She had felt it the moment they had looked into each other's eyes.

They had mostly talked to each other, staying far away from the conversation the adults had had. And for the first time in a weeks, she had really laughed and enjoyed herself.

Her second weekend in Forks wasn't that bad either. It didn't really rain much but it did get colder, to Rachel's displeasure. She had hoped the winter here would be nearly done but she had the bad feeling that it hadn't even started.

There was a downside to everything too. She was having nightmares. Nightmares in which she was running through a long dark alley while being followed by two people but she could never see who they were or what they looked like.

Her nightmares always ended with her running out of the hallway and into a ballet studio and just when she turned around she was grabbed and felt a sharp pain in her neck, causing her to start screaming.

That moment she always woke up and she was always screaming. Luckily Charles and Janet had given up running towards her whenever she screamed at night. They knew she had a nightmare whenever she screamed during the night because nightmares weren't that uncommon.

The new week began and Monday morning was just another typical day. Rachel woke up by her alarm, Janet yelled from downstairs that she had to get up or she would be late and when she would have finally gotten downstairs, the two that called themselves her parents were already gone.

So she ate her breakfast in silence again and all alone. Or so she thought. She was just finishing up her cornflakes when the front door went open and close again. "Rachel, I'm back!" called Charles' voice from out of the hallway.

"I'm in the kitchen!" Charles walked into the kitchen and Rachel couldn't help but snigger. "You're dripping on the carpet, Charles."

"Yeah, you can laugh," said a slightly grumpy Charles. "But it's your fault that I'm ruining Janet's carpet."

"How come?" asked Rachel.

"I got a local rain shower over me because I had to wait in the rain until that bloody mechanic was finally done placing new tires under your car."

Rachel frowned. "New tires?"

"It's pretty slippery outside. It rained and after that it started freezing." He grabbed the hand towel and dried his hair with it. "I thought you would probably need tires that would give you more grip on the road."

Rachel put her bowl in the sink and placed water in it before walking to the hallway and putting her jacket on. "So are you finally eating tonight at home or..." She saw the look on his face and couldn't hide her disappointment. "You're working until late again."

"I'm sorry, Rachel," said Charles while they walked out of the house again.

"What's your excuse this time?" wanted Rachel to know. "I thought you said everything would run more smooth now you knew how everything worked and stuff like that."

"It would have run more smooth if it hadn't been for the fact..." He cut himself off when Rachel slipped on a frozen pool of water and landed on her bag. He quickly helped her up. "You okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. Or should be in a view minutes." She rubbed her backside. "But what were you saying?"

"Everything would have run a little more smooth if it hadn't for the fact that I'm dealing with a murder."

"A murder?" asked Rachel. "I thought Forks was a nice and quiet town where people murdering each other was a rare thing."

"It's not here in Forks. I've to head down to Mason County," explained Charles. "A security guard of the power station there got killed by some kind of animal."

Rachel paled now slightly. "An animal?"

"Yeah, it's France all over again," said Charles. "Pity I don't have that incredible detective of a boyfriend of yours to help me out." Rachel looked away. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have brought him up."

"It's okay," said Rachel softly. "I've got to get over him sooner or later. It's just still difficult to talk about him. And I still can't bring myself to even bring his name over my lips."

Charles patted her shoulder. "You'll get there, girl. Trust me. You'll get there."

Rachel nodded. "Anyway, thanks for the tires."

"You're welcome."

Rachel placed a kiss on his cheek. "And be careful."

"Always am, sweet cheeks," smiled Charles.

He stepped into his car and drove off. Rachel waited until he was out of her view before she got into her own car and drove to school.

She waved and greeted some people while she crossed the parking lot towards school and was soon joined by Eric who walked with her towards English. He talked all the way about a new article he was writing for the school paper and he wanted her playlist for some weird kind of reason.

She placed her coat on the hat stand in the class while trying to ignore him as best as she could. Eric, Tyler and Mike were pretty much annoying the living daylight out of her because the only thing they wanted was getting in her pants.

"So hey, I was wondering..." Rachel turned towards him and crooked an eyebrow while giving him a cold look. She had a bad feeling about where this was going. "I was wondering if you have a date..."

On that moment Mike joined them and held his hat, that was dripping from the rain, above Rachel's head. "Hey, France. How are you liking the rain, girl? You better get used to it."

That was the first and probably the last time that Rachel was happy to see Mike because if he hadn't showed up, Eric would have actually asked her out.

Mike had actually nicknamed her France because she had lived there before she moved to Forks and because it happened quite often that she started insulting him in French whenever he got on her nerves. He couldn't understand a word of it and most other people could not either because when she talked French, she talked it in the way French people talked it too, meaning fast.

"Yeah, Mike. You're real cute, man," said Eric.

"Oh, I know."

Rachel left the two alone and took her place at the back of the class. Mike sat down beside her a view minutes later but kept his mouth shut throughout the whole lesson, which she was grateful for.

The next view lessons passed by quite quickly and before she knew it, lunch break had arrived and Rachel was feeling optimistic. Even sports had gone well so she was having a pretty good day.

Her good day became even better when she saw it was snowing. People were yelling full of excitement at each other and several people were throwing snowballs at each other.

"It's snowing!" said Mike, also excited, while he walked with Rachel and Jessica from where they had had sports to the cafeteria.

"We can see that, Mike. Thanks for stating the obvious," said Rachel who rolled with her eyes and then grinned slightly evilly and pushed a snowball in his collar, causing him to jump and give a girl like scream.

She and Jessica then took a run for it and quickly took shelter in the cafeteria before anyone could target them. Still laughing about the fact that Mike had screamed like that, they grabbed two plates and picked out their lunch.

Mike joined them shortly afterwards. "Not funny, Rachel."

"I beg the difference," grinned Rachel. "Did you not hear yourself scream?"

"You totally sounded like a girl," pointed Jessica out with a laugh.

"I have to get back at you for that," said Mike with a grin.

Rachel snorted. "I would love to see you try."

While they were walking towards their table Rachel noticed something. There were sitting five people at the Cullen table, not four. Edward Cullen had finally returned to school.

The five of them were laughing and the hair of the three boys were covered in melting snow. Alice and Rosalie quickly moved away when Emmett shook out his hair in their direction.

Rachel tore her gaze away. They weren't the only three whose hair was covered in melting snow but they made it look handsome, where others made it look sloppy. The Cullens were just too perfect. It wasn't normal.

"Well, look who is back," she noted to the other people that were sitting at the table while sitting down herself.

Jessica and Angela followed her head nod. "The five are complete again."

"Seems he finally felt good enough to honour us with his presence again," said Rachel, causing the people at the table to snigger.

"He's looking at you, Rachel," said Jessica.

"Really?" She didn't look over her shoulder. "Let me guess: he seems angry, vicious, like he hates me."

"Not really," said Jessica. "He seems more curious and unsatisfied about something for some weird kind of reason."

"Huh," came Rachel's answer. "That's certainly new."

"Why would you think he was looking angry?" wanted Angela to know.

"Because he didn't exactly tried very hard to hide his anger towards me last time I saw him. Seriously, he was acting as if I was the devil himself."

Jessica glanced towards the Cullens again. "He's still looking."

"Then don't look back," said Rachel.

Jessica giggled but did what nonetheless what Rachel had asked her to do. "The Cullens don't like anyone, so it's not you personally. It was probably the fact that you were pointed at the same table at him. Now he was to work with you instead of doing all the work himself."

"They really don't like anyone?" asked Rachel who found that rather strange.

"They don't stick around to get to know people and judge if they're likeable or not. They hardly pay attention to anyone beside themselves. Like I said before, they keep to themselves."

Rachel rolled with her eyes. "And I thought my ex was unsocial."

"You've an ex?" asked Mike. He couldn't really hide his jealousy.

"Several actually," was Rachel's answer. "Why? Do I look like the girl that doesn't date or have boyfriends?"

"No... No, you look absolutely exact opposite," stammered Mike who was turning red.

Rachel gave him a dry look. "Thanks for calling me a slut."

"No! I didn't mean that!" he nearly screamed, turning even more red.

Rachel, Angela and Jessica started laughing. "Calm down, Mike. I'm messing with you."

"I know," mumbled a still red Mike. But he wisely kept his mouth shut during the rest of the lunch break.

* * *

When the bell rang Angela and Rachel said goodbye to Jessica who had a different class and they walked together to Biology while going over Mike's embarrassment again. It had stopped snowing and had started raining, much to the students dismay.

"You really had him there," said Angela, who was finally warming up and who started to act less shy around her.

"It deserved him right," said Rachel. "I swear, I'm going crazy. It seems as if almost every single guy on this school wants to get in my pants. And truthfully, a view girls too."

The latter caused Angela to start giggling and turn a little red. "I so didn't want to know that."

"I didn't want to know it either but people have the bad habit to not keep things to themselves. They really should be more careful. You never know who is listening in."

"Now you sound paranoid."

"Maybe I am."

"Really?" asked Angela. Rachel pulled a face as if she was thinking and went over the facts and then raised her hand and showed her a little bit with her thumb and index finger, causing Angela to start laughing again."Seriously?"

"Every human is a little paranoid. It's in their nature, their DNA. If you're not a little paranoid then you're just stupid because they're always people walking around this earth that only think about themselves and only want to use you. Being a little paranoid means being careful and prevents you falling in the claws of an selfish person."

Angela thought about that. "You know, I never really thought about it like that."

"I didn't either. Until I almost became a victim. Now I'm a little more careful."

They walked into the Biology class and Rachel saw much to her relieve that her table was still empty. No Edward Cullen in sight yet.

"You think you will survive Biology?" asked Angela, clearly seeing her face.

"I think I will survive. By an inch." Angela chuckled. "It shouldn't be that hard. He is probably just going to ignore me again and shoot death glares my way. Maybe I can get him to glare even more if I poke him with a pencil."

"I think you shouldn't push your luck," said Angela. "And that you should be happy that looks can't kill."

"If that had been the case I probably would have died a long time ago," was Rachel's dry response.

She gave Angela a smile and sat down at her table. She had just taken out her book and her writing pad when a shadow walked past her back and sat down beside her. She ignored him. If he was going to ignore her then as hell, she was going to ignore him too.

She gave Mr. Banner a smile when he placed a microscope on the table in front of her. His cheeks coloured a little and he quickly walked on.

Rachel rolled with her eyes while going through the notes she had made. He wasn't the first teacher she had who had gotten a slight crush on her. Back in France her friends had joked more than once that she had thousand of admires and that most of them were her teachers.

"Hello," said a soft, melodic voice from beside her suddenly.

Rachel jumped a little and stared at Edward Cullen. He had said something. He had actually talked to her. Whatever happened to the arrogant boy from last week who had glared at her as if she had been his personal demon?

"I'm sorry I didn't get a chance to introduce myself last week." Rachel still stared at him as if she couldn't believe what she was hearing. "I'm Edward Cullen." The way he was talking was weird. It was so civil, almost old-fashioned. You must be Rachel Grey."

"I am," said Rachel, not able to say anything else.

Mr. Banner walked past them again. "Okay, today we're going to do a little investigation. The glass plates on your table contain the germ cells of an union. It's your job to find out what plate belongs to which state and in which order they need to be because right now, they're not in the right order. And the first table who gets it right –" He held up a golden union. "– wins the golden union."

There were some excited whispers while Rachel crooked an eyebrow. An golden Union? How crazy was her Biology teacher in real life?

"Ladies first," said Edward from beside her, causing Rachel to jump a little again and stare at him.

She pulled the microscope towards her while giving him a suspicious look and placed the first glass plate under it. She focussed the microscope and while looking at the glass plate she said: "You were gone for a whole week."

"Yeah..." was his careful answer. "I was out of town for a couple of days. Personal reasons."

"Really? That's odd because your father said you weren't feeling very well and that you were at home because you were sick," said Rachel while looking up and pushing the microscope towards him. "Prophase. You can look if you don't trust me."

She saw him hesitate while placing the microscope in front of him. "He was telling the truth. I went to Alaska to get some fresh air and to get better."

Rachel raised an eyebrow. "Alaska?"

"We've family there."

"That's an awful long travel, especially for someone who doesn't feel well."

"It was worth it," said Edward. "Prophase indeed." He placed a new glass plate under the microscope. "So, are you enjoying the rain?"

Rachel snorted and looked at him like he had gone a little crazy. "You're asking me about the weather?"

"Yeah," was yet again his careful answer. "I guess I am."

Rachel shook her head in amusement. "Just to let you know, asking someone about the weather is pretty dull and just screaming that you feel uncomfortable and awkward."

"Or maybe I'm just generally interested in what you think about the weather."

"Right," was Rachel's answer, clearly not believing it. "I don't mind the rain or the cold. I lived in England for a little more than two years and that's probably the wettest country in the whole world. You get used to it, if you like it or not."

"I thought you lived in France before you moved down here," said Edward while looking into the microscope again. "Anaphase."

He wanted to write it down so Rachel asked: "Mind if I look too?" He pushed the microscope towards her and Rachel looked at the glass plate. "And how did you know that?"

"Know what?"

"That I lived in France before we moved here."

"I must have heard it somewhere."

"You weren't at school for an entire week because you had to go so desperately to Alaska. So I find it very hard to believe that you heard it somewhere," stated Rachel. "You were right. It's anaphase."

"Like I said," said Edward who wrote it down. "Don't you miss the sun and heat?"

"I don't know how much you know about France but around this time of the year it's winter there too. So no heat and very little sun." She held out her hand. "Slide three?" He placed it carefully in her hand, deliberately trying not to make physical contact. "I don't bite, you know?" was her remark to that.

"I'm not too sure about that yet." There was a smile in his voice.

"Metaphase." She passed him the microscope. "And I don't think I will really miss the sun and the heat once spring and summer have arrived. It brings back memories I rather want to forget."

"Like what?"

"Like that's none of your damn business," snapped Rachel while glaring at him. He blinked surprised and Rachel felt slightly bad. "Sorry. It's painful. I don't really want to talk about it."

He nodded that he got it and their conversation fell silent. They passed each other the microscope, only to find out that the other was right. They were finished long before the others and it wasn't that odd that they won the golden union.

When the bell ran Rachel made her way out of the class with that ridiculous union in her hand. Edward had insisted she took it. To her surprise he walked up to her.

"You don't really seem to like it here."

"It's new. I still have to get used to it. And I don't like moving and being the new girl. Only I'm forced to move and be the new girl every view years."

"Why?"

"That's something you've to ask Charles and Janet."

"Your parents?"

"They're not my parents," was Rachel's immediate answer. "They adopted me. They like seeing new places and instead of going on a trip around the world before they decided to adopt me, they force me to move with them so they can see new places."

"What about your real parents."

"Dead," was Rachel's answer. "They died in a fire when I was four years old. I don't exactly remember much of them. I just know that I managed to get out in time and I was found by an elderly couple who placed me in an orphanage where Charles and Janet adopted me not even a week later."

"And you don't love them?"

"No!" Rachel was shocked that he got that idea. "I mean: yes. Err... I love them. I really do. It's just... They're not my real parents and they make my life even harder than it already is by forcing me to move every view years."

"So you are unhappy with them?"

"Sometimes," whispered Rachel softly while looking down at the ground. "Right now I'm just unhappy. They've nothing to do with it. Or maybe a little. And they're just not around very often because of the work they do. That and all the moving around, it's just doesn't help." She gave him a weird look when she realised something. "But what's with all the questions?"

"I'm just trying to figure you out," said Edward. "You're very difficult for me to read."

Rachel wanted to say that was mutual when she noticed something. His eyes were topaz again. "Hey, do you wear contacts?"

"No. Why?"

"Your eyes. I'm pretty sure they were black last time I saw you and now they've the strangest colour. I've never seen people with that colour of eyes before and you and your family all have the same eye colour. It's weird."

"It's nothing," said Edward quickly. Rachel looked sceptical at him and he blinked a view times before turning around and walking away.

Rachel stared after him and wondered what that was all about. She shrugged and opened her locker. The guy was a mystery and weird. But that was nothing new.


	7. An Almost Accident

**Hello there, folks! How have you all been doing?**

**I know it's a while since I last updated and that I had promised to update soon again. I just... I've been really busy. I'm sorry.**

**I'll keep things short. **

**ShadowsOfTheDay, thank you for your review. I hope this chapter will meet up to your expectations.**

**The title already tells you what is going to happen: Rachel gets an almost car accident.**

**I hope I will update soon again but I can't promise anything.**

**Please review to let me know what you think of this story. How more reviews, how sooner I will try to update.**

**XxX Emmetje**

* * *

New Girl in Town

Chapter 6

An Almost Accident

* * *

When Rachel woke up the next morning she felt strange. It was like she was almost hopeful and excited. It had already been quite a while since she had last felt like that.

After getting dressed in a long pair of jeans, a black tank top and a white blouse she walked downstairs while pulling on a pair of brown boots with slight heels. It also had been a while since she had last worn heels.

Janet was just preparing to leave. "Good morning, darling."

"Morning, Janet," greeted Rachel back while dumping her bag in a corner of the kitchen.

Janet watched her for a view moments and then noted: "You seem oddly happy today."

Rachel shrugged. "I slept well."

"I see." Janet let it pass. "Well, are you coming down the hospital again after school?"

"Why? Is tonight going to be late again?"

"Charles and I are going out for dinner. I thought we had told you that."

"Yeah, you had. I must have slipped my mind."

Janet frowned. "Are you feeling alright, sweetheart? It's not like you to forget about things."

Rachel hesitated with answering. "Yesterday just went well. I actually felt comfortable for the first time."

Janet smiled. "That's good, right?"

Rachel shrugged. "I don't know about that yet."

"Well, I've to go." She placed a kiss on the side of Rachel's head. "I hope you have a nice day."

Rachel gave her a smile and then continued eating her cornflakes. She was actually pretty angry at herself. She wasn't feeling hopeful and excited because there was another day of school waiting for her. Or because she was going to see her new made friends. She was feeling hopeful and excited because there was a chance she was going to see Edward again and that was also the reason why she was angry at herself.

It had been nice to talk to someone again whose mind she couldn't read. She had almost forgotten how peaceful that had been. But it was ridiculous that she was looking so forward to see him again after only talking to him once.

It was probably just a onetime thing and he would start ignoring her just like he did with all the others now that he had talked to her. And it bothered her.

She needed to talk to him, to have some peace and quietness in her head. But most of all, she needed that mysterious factor around her. It was France all over again: the handsome strange boy whose mind she couldn't read and who was different but she couldn't figure out how different exactly.

A pang of pain went through her heart when she realised that she wanted to see and talk to Edward again because he reminded her of him, of her ex. In personality and looks they were nothing alike but there was this air around him...

It was the same kind of air her ex had had around him, only with him it had been thicker. She didn't quite understand why. But that air was part of the reason why she had been drawn to him and the same thing was now happening with Edward.

"I've something for mysterious boys," she mumbled to herself while placing her bowl in the sink again.

Rachel pulled her coat on, threw her bag over her shoulder and quickly walked towards her car. After the rain from yesterday it had started to freeze again, making the roads only more slippery. Just great.

While driving towards school she started to think about another resemblance that Forks had with France: the animal attacks.

Charles hadn't told her much about it yet and she got the feeling that he preferred not talking about it to her. Probably because it would bring back memories. And it did.

How many times hadn't she found him and her ex in Charles' study while working out a new plan to catch the one responsible for the murders? Or discussing a new theory about what it could be? How many times hadn't she joined them to tell them that dinner was ready and how many times hadn't her ex pulled her into his arms, joking that she should join them and trying to find out what or who it was who was responsible for the killings, knowing very well that she knew who and what was responsible?

That latter caught her attention while she parked her car by school again, and as far away from the entrance as possible again.

She got out of the car and locked it but didn't walk to school yet. Instead she leaned against it and grabbed her phone.

She started going through her contact list, looking for the number she was looking for. But when she found it, she hesitated. Could she really call him, after what had happened last time they had seen each other?

But just when she had gotten herself so far and wanted to press the call button, she suddenly heard the strangest sound: a high pitching noise that quickly became almost painfully to hear.

Rachel turned around and felt herself go numb, causing her mobile to fall to the ground. Tyler's black minivan was sliding towards her in a high speed. She noticed several faces in the crowd, all of them were looking shocked but they had yet to realise what she had already realised: Tyler's van would smash right into her and most likely kill her.

The face of Edward Cullen stood out. He was at the other side of the parking lot. He had already realised what was going to happen and was looking back at her, also with shock written on his face. But there was also something that looked like terror and pain.

Rachel looked back at the van and closed her eyes. The van was now so close that no matter what she tried, even if she would use her powers, she was doomed to get injured. And maybe death wouldn't be so bad. Maybe she would see her parents again. At least the pain would stop.

But before the deadly crash could happen, she was hit by something that felt like a rock and it didn't came from the direction she had expected it to come. It came from her left, not from her front.

Whatever it had been, it pushed her to the ground and it wasn't too careful. A fizzy feeling washed over her when her head came in contact with the asphalt road. That would probably leave a mark.

That same thing that had pushed her to the ground held her in a cold and stone like grip. The van smashed into the back of her car and Rachel looked up and her eyes widened in fear when she saw how Edward Cullen, who was also holding her, smashed his shoulder against the side of the van, causing it to stop.

He then cursed and one of his arms shot out and Rachel's mouth dropped open when she saw him lift the van a little and sweep her legs from under it. She was all safe now.

She stared at the dent in Tyler's van before slowly turning her head towards Edward, who was still kneeled beside her and who was still holding her.

It was completely silent around her and she just stared at him, her eyes widened in shock and her mouth slightly open.

"Are you alright?" asked Edward in his smooth voice.

"I... I..." Rachel couldn't bring out a word and she stared at the dent again before looking up at him again. "I'm fine..."

"Are you sure? You hit your head pretty hard."

She indeed felt how her head throbbed. But it was nothing she hadn't felt before. "How did you get here?"

"What do you mean?" asked Edward.

"You were at the other side of the parking lot. How did you get here so fast?"

"Rachel, I was standing the whole time beside you."

Her eyes flashed with anger. "No, you weren't," she snapped. "I saw you. You were with your siblings standing at your car at the other side of the parking lot. I might have hit my head but I know what I saw." She tried to sit up. "You were defiantly not standing beside me."

"You shouldn't move," said the pale boy in front of her. "I think you hit your head a lot harder than I had first though."

"I'm perfectly fine!" snapped Rachel.

But before she could ask him again, the crow of people had gathered around them and started to yell things through each other.

"Don't move!"

"Someone get Tyler out of that van!"

The chaos was reaching Rachel's already sore head and she tried to get up but Edward held her down. "You need to stay put."

"It's cold and it's noisy. I'm not staying here," said Rachel who again tried to get up. "And you defiantly weren't standing beside me. I was going to call someone to ask something and I don't call people when someone is standing beside me."

"You really must have hit your head hard because..."

"I'm perfectly fine! And you can't push this on me! I know what I saw and I want answers! How did you get here so fast?"

He finally stopped trying to convince her. "Please," he begged her.

"Why?"

"Just trust me."

"I'll stop making a scene of it and stop asking if you promise me you will explain later. If not, I'm not going to stop and just keep asking. Even if there're other people are around. And I will as hell tell them too what happened and I don't think you really want that."

The anger that flashed in his eyes just proved what she had already thought. He didn't want anyone to hear about what she had just witnessed. "Fine," he snapped.

"Fine," snapped Rachel back.

* * *

Rachel was extremely annoyed by the time she arrived at the hospital. It had taken six ambulance workers and two teachers to get the van away from her car and after that Edward had told them that she had hit her head but that he was fine, resulting in the fact that they put a collar around her neck and put her on a stretcher.

After a view X Rays and examinations at the first aid, they left her all alone but they didn't bother to close the curtains. Rachel just pulled the collar from her neck again and placed it on a stand beside her.

A view nurses were busy stitching Tyler Crowley up from behind her who kept mumbling apologizes to her. She ignored him.

Things started to get worse when the doors flew open and Charles ran into the room. "Rachel!"

"Hey, Charles," mumbled Rachel.

He walked towards her and gave Tyler a stern look. "You and I are going to talk." He stopped in front of her. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine, Charles. Just calm down."

"I'm so sorry, Rachel," said Tyler. "I tried to stop. I really did."

"I know," sighed Rachel who heard this for already the millionth time. "It's okay. No harm done."

"It sure as hell is not okay," said Charles, immediately putting an end to Rachel's tries to make Tyler feel less guilty.

"Charles," begged Rachel. "It wasn't his fault. He slipped on a piece of ice. It could have happened to anyone."

"You could have been killed!"

"It wouldn't be the first time," was Rachel's response. "And I know it could have been my death but it wasn't."

Charles pulled a face before turning to Tyler again. "You can kiss your driver licence goodbye."

On that moment the door went open and Dr. Cullen walked in. "I heard the new chief's daughter was here."

"Hello, Dr. Cullen," greeted Charles. "How are you?"

"I'm fine. Thank you, Charles. How are you yourself?" smiled the blonde doctor while walking towards him and Rachel and stopping in front of them.

"I've had better days," was Charles' honest question.

Dr. Cullen turned to Rachel. "And hello to you too, Rachel." He grabbed the notepad that was hanging at the back of the bed she was sitting on and read it. "Says here you hit your head quite badly."

"I'm fine," was Rachel's answer. "Nothing was broken, there is no concussion to see on the X Rays and I don't feel dizzy or disorientated. I'm perfectly fine."

"_I wonder how she knows that. Nobody has told her yet that her X Rays are fine_," she heard Dr. Cullen think.

She mentally slapped herself. She had slipped and now she had to cover it up. "Can I go or do you want to keep me here for no reason at all?"

Dr. Cullen put the notepad away and grabbed something out of one of the pockets in his white coat. "Look here please." He raised a finger and she looked at it while he shined a light into her eyes. "That you feel fine right now doesn't mean you won't feel anything later. You made experience some posttraumatic stress or some disorientation. But your vitals look good and there are indeed no signs of a head trauma." He put the light away and started to feel on her skull. She flinched slightly when he pressed on the already healing bruise on her head. "Does that feel painful?"

"Not really. It will be gone before you know it." Rachel shot Charles a begging look. He knew she was a fast healer. He nodded that he understood but he was right when he told her through his thoughts that he wasn't the doctor here. "Can I please leave this place?" asked Rachel Dr. Cullen. "I really hate hospitals."

"I'm so sorry, Rachel," said Tyler from behind her. "I really am. I promise I will make it up."

Rachel gave Charles a thankful smile when he pulled the curtain between the two beds close and cut Tyler off by doing so.

"I think you will be just fine," said Dr. Cullen with a smile. "You were lucky."

"It would have been a whole lot less lucky if Edward hadn't been standing right _next_ to me," said Rachel while looking straight at Dr. Cullen to see what his reaction was.

His thoughts were however again careful picked and he was suddenly too busy writing something on the notepad that told him what had happened to her.

Charles looked at Dr. Cullen, clearly clueless to what was going on between his daughter and the doctor. "Edward?" asked he. "Isn't that your boy?"

Dr. Cullen looked slightly uncomfortable up and met Rachel's eyes. "It was really amazing. He got to me so fast while he was nowhere near me." Dr. Cullen didn't say anything. "Has he already left or is he still waiting for the green light too?"

"He is still waiting but he has already been given the green light to go back to school," was Dr. Cullen's careful answer.

"Can I go back to school too?"

"I don't think that such a smart idea. Just take it easy for today and take some painkillers against the ache. And get some sleep. It helps." He smiled. "You should be your normal self again by tomorrow."

On that moment the door flew open again and Janet ran into the room, looking like she was going crazy with worry and still wearing her uniform. "Rachel!" She ran towards her and hugged her so tight that Rachel hardly could breath. "Oh, honey! Are you okay?! Please, tell me you're okay!"

"Janet, I'm fine," said Rachel. "But I won't be if you break me in half or suffocate me."

It didn't really seem like Janet had heard her but luckily she did let her go and turned to Dr. Cullen for a second opinion. "Is she okay?"

Dr. Cullen smiled. "She's fine, Janet. She can go home after one of you two fill in some paperwork. Just make sure she takes it easy today and gets some rest."

After giving both of them another smile, he walked away to give Tyler his judgement. Rachel frowned while staring after him. He was still careful with what he was thinking.

Janet started to caress Rachel's hair. "Are you sure you are alright, sweetheart?"

"Yes. And you know that even if I wasn't I will be before you know it," was Rachel's answer. "I just want to leave this bloody hospital and go home, seeing as I'm not allowed to go back to school."

"And nothing is broken?" asked Janet just to be sure.

"If you do not include the facts that my mobile was run over and that my car has a small dent, no, nothing was broken."

"You want us to come with you?" asked Charles.

"No," was Rachel's direct answer. "I'll be fine on my own and you two still have to work. Just sign the papers and I'll be off to take it easy for the rest of the day."

"Are you sure?" asked Janet again.

"Positive," nodded Rachel.

Janet sighed and caressed Rachel's hair again. "We'll cancel dinner..."

"No, don't do that. And stop worrying already. I'm perfectly fine."

"I will take her home," promised Charles Janet. "And afterwards I will pick up her car from school."

Janet nodded and hugged Rachel tightly again. "You take it easy and do what Carlisle said, okay?"

"Carlisle?" Rachel pulled her nose up in disgust. "Since when are you two on first name bases?"

Janet didn't answer her question. "I will call."

"You do that. Just don't call my cell phone. Like I said, it's the one thing that did get broken."

And now she couldn't call her ex to ask him if he knew something about those animal attacks. That really sucked.

Janet hugged Rachel again after they had arrived at the first aid desk and left shortly after that. Rachel let Charles sign the papers and wondered already towards the entrance.

Three voices quickly caught her attention. "What was I suppose to do? Let her die?"

"This isn't just about her. It's about us. All of us. You heard what Carlisle said about her. She is clever and different. What is she finds out? If she hasn't already."

"What Rosalie means, Edward, is that if she finds out she will put herself in danger. Great danger. We need to be even more careful around her than we already are because the possibility that she can read minds is becoming more likely with the day. If she finds out..."

"Yeah, I get it. But that is IF she finds out. With the emphasis on _if_."

Rachel leaned against the corner with her arms over each other. "It's not nice to talk about someone behind their back." Edward, Dr. Cullen and Rosalie all jumped slightly when she said that and looked at her. Apparently they hadn't noticed her being there. The moment Rosalie looked at her, there came a weary look in the topaz coloured eyes but Rachel ignored it and looked at Edward. "Can I talk to you for a minute?"

Dr. Cullen put an arm around Rosalie's shoulders and whispered something to her and led her away. Rachel glanced after them and saw them whisper fiercely to each other while they walked away from them. Their lips were moving too fast for them to be human.

"What do you want?" asked Edward rudely.

"I thought you would know by now," said Rachel. "I want answers. How the hell did you get over to me so fast?"

"I was standing right next to you, Rachel."

"Not this crap again," snapped Rachel while rolling her eyes and putting her arms over each other. "You were standing next to your car together with your siblings waiting for the bell to ring and that car was parked at the other side of the parking lot. And I would know because I deliberately always park my car as far away from you as is possible."

"You must have seen it wrong," fake smiled Edward.

"Really?" asked Rachel. "You're going at that again? Then what was that talk about? About you guys needing to be even more careful around me or I will find out, huh?" She looked at him, giving him a daring look. "What was that about then?"

Edward's eyes flashed angrily. "What do really want from me, Rachel?"

"The truth. I want to know how it was possible that you got next to me so fast and how you were able to stop a minivan with your shoulder and lift it up with one hand."

"You believe I lifted a minivan up?"

Rachel glared at him. "You're trying to make me think again that I'm crazy. It ain't working. I know what I saw."

"And nobody is going to believe you," was his cold response.

"You sure about that?" asked Rachel, giving him a daring look again. "You guys slipped a view times and I'm not the only who noticed it. And you know that too." She saw Edward swallow. "But just to calm your nerves and stop you from doing something you will probably regret later, I'm not going to tell anyone."

"Then why do you want to know so desperately?" wanted Edward to know.

"I want the truth for me and for no other reason and that might surprise you but it's the truth."

"Why can't you just thank me and get over it?" snapped Edward, clearly angry that she kept pushing it.

Rachel gave him a cold look and said in an even colder voice: "Thank you so much for saving my life."

Edward's eyes darkened a little. "You're not going to let this go, are you?"

This time she gave him a dry look. "Not a chance in hell."

"You won't like the truth," snapped Edward.

"Let me be the judge of that," was Rachel's response.

"Fine. But I hope you're going to prepare yourself for disappointment."

They stared angrily at each other for a moment and Rachel heard Charles' thoughts coming her way. "You be surprised with how hard it is to disappoint me. And just to let you know, you and your family are not the first supernatural things I've met in my life."

Before he could ask her about that, Charles walked around the corner and joined them. "You ready to go?"

"Yeah," was Rachel's answer, giving Edward another dry look. "Nothing interesting comes out of his mouth anyway." Charles didn't press on it and they walked away but Rachel stopped halfway and turned towards Edward again and asked again in a cold voice: "Why did you even bother?"

"I don't know," he whispered while looking down.

Rachel rolled her eyes and she and Charles walked on. "You really don't like the guy," was Charles statement.

Rachel snorted. "Whatever gave _that_ away?"


	8. Long Time No Speak

**Hi, there folks! How are you all doing?**

**It's been nearly two weeks, hasn't it? So sorry for that.**

**Thank you, Alexstarlight18 and ShadowsOfTheDay, for your reviews. And also thank you to all the people that are following this story and have favourited it. I'm most grateful. **

**I hope everyone will like this chapter. I'd believe there are some grammar and spelling mistakes. I've double checked but I can't find them all. So if you find one, please tell me. **

**I hope I'll be able to update soon. Can't promise anything though. Again, sorry.**

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**XxX Emmetje**

* * *

New Girl in Town

Chapter 7

Long Time No Speak

* * *

After doing some homework, hanging for the television, sleeping a little and painting a view things, Rachel was found yet again on the couch on her back staring at the ceiling with a bored look in her eyes.

She couldn't get the things that had happened during the day out of her head and she had at least done everything twice. She was bored. Really bored.

So when the phone started ringing, she was actually happy. At least she would have something to do. And she didn't even care who it was who was calling. For her part it was Mike or Eric. Or even Tyler.

"Grey residence, this is Rachel speaking."

"_My, my. Aren't you all polite and all?_" asked a voice from the other side of the line. "_Is your new goal in life to become a secretary? Really, Phoenix, that's not something that fits you at all._"

It took Rachel a moment to realise who was on the phone. That wasn't... That couldn't be... "Jane?"

"_The one and only. I'm hurt it took you so long to figure out who it was_," said her friend Jane from Volterra over the phone.

"It's just been a while since we last talked. And you guys aren't really the kind of people who call."

"_Aro forced me to call you because trust me, I wouldn't have done it spontaneously. I was too angry for that. Still am, just to let you know_," was Jane's honest answer. "_More than half a year, Rachel. You didn't write, you didn't call, you didn't mail and you didn't event text for more than a half year. What in heaven's name had gotten into you?_"

"I'm really sorry," apologized Rachel while sitting down on the couch again with the phone pressed against her ear. "But I have a really good reason."

"_It better be a damn good one or I will never forgive you. You know how much we just wanted to come by for a surprise visit? Just to see if you were still alive?_"

"I had a boyfriend," said Rachel. "With who I was head over heels. My life just turned around him for a while, you know? And he kept me busy so I just forgot about calling and mailing and texting and writing and to be honest, I just forgot about you guys."

"_You were in love?_" Jane sounded disgusted. "_How did that happen?_"

Rachel smiled slightly. "Long story."

"_But I take that you said 'had' means that you two aren't together anymore?_"

"You got my letter, didn't you?"

"_Yep._"

"Well, we moved. And he was still a little hung up about his ex and he wanted to get her back so I decided to break it up so he got that chance. Broke my own heart in progress."

"_You regret it, don't you?_"

"Yeah, very."

"_Ah, you will get over him. Boys are stupid. We are strong independent women, remember? We don't need men._"

Rachel rolled her eyes. "Clearly you didn't lie when you told me that you have never fallen for someone before and you never will."

"_So you stopped contacting us because of some stupid boy_," said Jane. "_And now you're living where?_"

"Forks. It's a small town in Washington D.C. It's cold, wet and even more cold here. I hate it. And there're so many secrets in this air. It just drives me crazy."

"_Did you say Forks?_"

"Yeah, why?"

"_An old friend of Aro lives there too with his family. Carlisle Cullen._"

There twitched something above Rachel's eyebrow while she remained silent, letting that information sink. "You got to be bloody kidding me!" She nearly yelled afterwards. "Aro knows that sick lying son of bastard?! And is friends with him?! Am I the only one who isn't overwhelmed by the Cullens and who is sane enough to see that they're weird and clearly hiding something?!"

"_I'll just take a wild guess here and say that you don't really like them_," said Jane drily.

"Whatever gave it away?" snapped Rachel. "How the hell does Aro know stupid Dr. Cullen?"

"_They go back. Carlisle Cullen staid here with us for a while. But it feels like that has already been ages ago. So how come you don't like them?_"

"There's this boy, Edward, and he's one of the foster kids of Dr. Cullen. He annoys the living daylight out of me. One minute he's all gentleman like and nice, the next moment he's acting like he can't stand the sight of me and wants to drain all the blood from my body." She put her feet up. "And there is just something weird about them. I got in a car crash this morning..."

"_You what?!_" interrupted Jane shocked. "_Are you alright?_"

"I'm fine. Thanks to bloody Edward Cullen. He was standing all the way at the other side of the parking lot when the crash happened and when the van was about to hit me, he suddenly appeared out of nothing beside me and pushed me towards the ground. He did save me but now he is acting like I'm imaging things and that I'm disillusion because I hit my head and that he was the whole time standing beside me. But I know what I saw. He wasn't even near me and he reached me so fast. It just wasn't normal, you know?" She huffed angrily. "He's just an arrogant, spoiled brat."

"_Sounds to me like you like him._"

"Oh, shut up," snapped Rachel annoyed. "And I don't like him. I can't stand him." But that wasn't entirely true, she realised the moment she said it. "And I'm not planning on getting a boyfriend anytime soon. If I ever want to get one again."

"_Go away, Alec_," she heard Jane say.

"Is your brother at it again?"

"_I swear, whenever someone mentions your name he becomes all hopeful_," said Jane and Rachel could her almost hear her roll her eyes. "_I think he's obsessed with you._"

"Don't be ridiculous. Alec is like a brother to me. Besides, it's clear that he is hung up about someone else."

"_Yeah, don't get me started on that. But she died. Years ago._"

"Love is a cruel thing, Jane. Just be happy you have never been in love with someone or else you would know how cruel it is. And just keep hoping you will never find out what's it like either," said Rachel who felt a small sting of pain go through her heart. "When you love someone, or have loved someone with all your heart, it's not easy to let that go and forget about it. No matter how many years will pass."

"_Still..._" said Jane, clearly avoiding the subject. "_I think he needs to find a hobby._"

"He isn't the only one," smiled Rachel. "But how's everything going there in Europe and with you guys? Is everything alright?"

"_Oh, we're just fine. We're always busy, always working. Especially Aro, Marcus and Caius. I often complain that I don't have enough free time but those three? I don't even know for sure if they know what that means._" Rachel laughed a little. "_But let's stop talking about us and start talking about you because everyone who read your letter noticed how depressed you were and that's saying something because letters can't even actually talk or express feelings._"

Rachel sniggered. "Yeah, it's pretty bad."

"_Why? Don't tell it's just because of that stupid boy?_"

"It does play an important role, yes."

"_Do I need to ask Aro to kill someone for you? I'm sure he will love to kill the boy who broke the heart of the girl who he sees as his daughter._"

"I would prefer if you would not tell him at all that I got my heart broken," said Rachel who rubbed her eyes. "Because I'm afraid that's exactly what he will do and I could never forgive him for it. I just love him too much and a part of me will always keep loving him."

"_Really, Phoenix. That's way too cliché._"

"I'm not even going to defend myself this time. With you I just know it's a hopeless case."

She could hear Jane roll her eyes again and she smiled slightly. "_So you're really depressed because of a heartbreak?_"

"I said it plays an important role. It's not the only reason. The whole move here was just awful too. And like I said, I hate it here. I guess the people aren't too bad but there townspeople. They're narrow-minded and care more about gossip then their country. It could go straight to hell, they wouldn't care as long as the gossip would survive."

"_Yeah... Doesn't really sound like the people that fit you._"

"It's that you said it or else I wouldn't have figured that out."

"_Being a smart ass isn't going to make you feel better, you know?_"

Rachel sighed. "I know."

"_What else is there?_" wanted Jane to know.

"I keep having these weird dreams. And Charles, he's busy with investigating another animal attack. Again."

"_An animal attack?_" asked Jane. Rachel frowned slightly. It could be just her but it sounded like there was fear in Jane's voice. "_What animal attack? And do you mean with another and again?_"

"Ease up, Jane. It's nothing big," said Rachel. "Back in France, we're terrorized by animal attacks for a while. But they caught it."

"_And?_"

"It was a big cat that belonged to some circus that travelled around. It had escaped its cage and while wondering around it had caught a lot of weird deceases, making it go crazy and attack people."

"_But now there are again animal attacks?_"

"It's weird, I know. Charles doesn't exactly want to tell me much about it. I think he's afraid it will bring make too many painful memories."

"_Let me guess, your ex-boyfriend that made you forget all about us helped him to catch that big cat in France._"

"You guessed right."

"_But does he have an idea what it is?_"

"Sadly no. He did tell me that it was nothing like the attacks we had had back in France so it's probably a different animal."

"_Maybe..._" was Jane's answer. She sounded distracted. "_But you dislike the Cullens just because of Edward?_"

"Mostly. They're just all weird. They're all so pretty and they're not even related. Yet they look exactly alike: unhealthy white skin and always the same weird coloured eyes. I mean, do you know anyone who has topaz coloured eyes? Well, they have that eye colour. Every single one of them. And when I asked Edward he denied that he was wearing contacts. But I'm pretty sure that when I saw him for the first time, his eyes were black."

"_I'm not following you_," said Jane.

"On my first day here at Forks High School I noticed the Cullens when they entered the cafeteria. It was hard not to have noticed them because they're people that stand out, even when they try not to. So I asked and found out who they were and I was told they kept to themselves and that they were all together, except Edward who thinks he's too good for anyone here. When I had Biology my teacher pointed me to the only table that had an empty seat and you probably already guessed it..."

"_Beside Edward Cullen._"

"Yes. But the moment I walked into the class, he kept staring at me and holding his breath and glaring angrily at me. He really seemed to hate me while I hadn't even talked to him yet. Throughout the whole lesson he kept glaring daggers at me and he was looking as if he wanted nothing more than to kill me and I also got the feeling that he would enjoy every minute of it."

"_Are you sure about that?_" asked Jane doubtful.

"Yeah."

"_What did his thoughts say?_"

"I don't know. I can't hear him. The only thing I hear is a weird kind of whiz. You know the kind of sound the radio makes when it can't find a channel."

"_How odd..._"

"I know. Part of the reason why I'm so annoyed by him. I can hear the other Cullens but their thoughts are all very carefully picked, almost as if they know that someone is listening in. That's even weirder, right?"

"_Indeed it is_," muttered Jane.

"It isn't only that," said Rachel. "When I enter the thoughts of one of them, his name is Jasper, a rollercoaster of emotions hit me and I'm pretty sure they're not mine."

"_Empathy..._" she heard Jane mutter pretty clearly.

"What?"

"_It's almost as if he possesses empathy_," explained Jane.

"What? You think they're like me?"

"_No one is like you, Phoenix. But they're certainly gifted._"

"I know. I'm still trying to get answers out of them and if that doesn't work I will start digging myself."

"_I would really prefer if you wouldn't do that_," whispered Jane carefully.

Rachel blinked slightly surprised. "Why not?"

"_What if you don't like what you find?_"

Rachel rolled her eyes. "Now you sound just like Edward. I hope you're preparing yourself for disappointment," she aped after Edward. "Like I said, he's an arrogant asshole."

Jane remained silent for a view moments and then said: "_Listen, Rachel. I will tell Aro what you told me and I'm sure he will call Carlisle and have a small talk with him._"

"No," protested Rachel immediately. "Don't do that. I don't want him to get involved in this. Make sure he doesn't call them, okay?"

"_But what if it helps?_"

"Listen," sighed Rachel. "I know you guys want to help but this is my problem. Just let me deal with it. Don't get involved in this. Besides, you said yourself that Aro is really busy. I don't want to give him even more work. And you guys live at the other side of the world. That you helped me back in France? Okay, fine. But I live in the States now. That's a whole different story and a way longer flight."

Jane remained silent for a view moments again. "_Very well then_," she finally said. "_Have it your way. Just promise me you won't dig to deep and that you stop worrying so much. Everything will be fine._"

"I will try," said Rachel. "I wish I was with you guys in Volterra. It would make things so much easier."

"_It really would..._" Jane sounded distracted again. "_Hey, what about this? You're staying during the summer vacation here._"

Rachel smiled. "Sounds amazing. Launching by the pool, sunbathing, shopping. Yeah, sounds like a lot of fun. But the summer vacation is still very far away."

"_At least you have something to look forward too._"

"You've got a point there. I miss you guys. And tell everyone I'm really sorry for not letting you guys hear from me sooner."

"_I will. We miss you too. Bye now._"

"Bye."

Rachel pressed on the disconnecting button and placed the phone beside her on the couch. When she had been thirteen years old, she and Charles and Janet had gone on vacation to Volterra. While the two of them had been out, Rachel had stayed at their hotel because she hadn't been feeling very well. She had decided to go and take a walk and get some fresh air. That had ended in a disaster.

She had lost control over her powers and, she shuddered, she still didn't like to think back about all the people that had died and had gotten hurt that night. An angry mob had chased after her and she had run for her life. While sitting against a wall in an alley, hiding, crying and hoping the mob wouldn't notice her, a man had suddenly appeared from out the shadows and had stepped in front of her and lifted her up like she had been as light as a feather.

He had stared into her eyes and she had cowered in fear when she had looked for the first time in two crimson red coloured eyes. They had been standing in a unhealthy white skinned face that had been framed by long dark hair.

They had stared at each other for a moment but then the man had smiled and guided her out of the alley, leaving her very little choice. He had been quite strong. He had introduced himself as Aro and he had told her she was safe now and that he wouldn't let anything happen to her and that he would help her.

It had been the start of a strange relationship. Like Jane had said, Aro saw her like a daughter and he was almost like a father to her. He had helped her indeed and also had been a great support every time she had had troubles with her powers. He always told her that they were not a curse, like she thought they were, but a gift she should embrace and be thankful for. It made her special.

Rachel pulled her nose up. She didn't want to be special. She wanted to be normal. And her powers would always be a cruse in her eyes. How many people hadn't she already hurt with them without wanting it?

Aro had taken her to his house, or rather said underground castle. There he lived with his family, as he called them: the Volturi. They had let her stay with them and after her first visit she had returned four more times: twice in the summers that had followed; once in the winter and once in the spring when her powers had gotten out of control.

Volterra was almost home to her. Almost. Because there was always something that gave her shivers and that gave her the feeling like they weren't entirely truthful with her. They also made her sometimes quite nervous. But that was only for small moments.

Rachel stretched herself out and stood up. She switched the lights off and walked back to the hallway where she put the phone on its place again.

While walking to the kitchen she went over the many faces of the Volturi family that she knew. Aro, Marcus and Caius were at the top, together with Aro's wife Sulplicia and Caius' wife Athenodora. She knew Marcus had had a wife too but she had passed away a long time ago.

After those five came Jane and her twin brother Alec. There also was Demetri; Felix; Chelsea and Heidi. Then there were Afton, Chelsea's husband; Corin who was always circling around Sulplicia and Athenodora; and as last Renata who she didn't really like and that feeling was mutual.

There were a view more but Rachel didn't know them as well. She was mostly friendly with the upper class, as she called them. Because that was what it seemed sometimes: a business instead a family.

She was closest with Aro, of course, and after him came Jane. She always found it difficult to pick one after because it was battle between Alec and Caius and Marcus. Alec won most of the times.

Caius and Marcus always stayed at the same place. She cared about them, she really did, but they were a little odd. Marcus because he was very silent and almost always depressed. He had been ever since the death of his wife, or so was she told. And Caius was really nice but she got easily scared around him. He made her feel really uncomfortable and she always had the feeling that he was ruthless and mean, even though he hid it very well.

The little nickname Phoenix they had given her because she looked like someone that used to be a part of their family. Alec had started to call her that and had explained it too. She looked almost exactly like the woman who had had the name Phoenix, only the woman had been much older than she was.

From what she had gotten from Alec, he had cared a lot for her. They all had. And she also got the idea that they owned her a great debt.

Rachel banned all the thoughts of her friends from Volterra out of her head while she took her painkillers with some water.

She pulled a disgusted face when she felt them go down her throat. She hated medicines and painkillers. She didn't need them and they didn't help. But her head was still throbbing, which was not normal, so for a change she would use them.

Shaking her head while ignoring the horrible taste she got in her mouth because of the painkillers, she walked upstairs towards her bedroom. It was time to get some sleep.


	9. Jealous, Edward Cullen?

**Hi guys!**

**Don't kill me, please. I know it's been a while since I last updated. I'm really sorry about that but I've been really busy and I wasn't happy with some things in this story.**

**Thank you ShadowOfTheDay and aandm20 for your reviews. And you thank to all of you who have favorited and started following this story. Don't be shy and let me know in a review what you guys think.**

**Oh, and aandm20, you said it right. It's 'heel goed gedaan'. And thank you for very much. I haven't looked for a beta yet but I think I might will. Not sure yet.**

**I won't keep you guys too long. Enjoy this chapter and please review. I really love reviews.**

**I'm not too sure when I'll update again. I hope next month but I can't say for sure. I haven't finished this chapter yet and there aren't that many chapters before we reach the chapter where I've stopped. **

**Just keep an eye out for an update next month.**

**XxX Emmetje**

* * *

New Girl in Town

Chapter 8

Jealous, Edward Cullen?

* * *

After a month had passed, Rachel was almost ready to give up. Oh, and give in to the incredible need to try and kill (or at least torture) Edward Cullen.

She had been quite polite the next time they had Biology, even greeted him. He just nodded and ignored her. Even when they had to work together, he had completely ignored her.

Fortunately the crash was forgotten after a whole month. Unfortunately she had a new stalker: Tyler Crowley. Just like Mike he walked after her like a little lost puppy and he tried everything in his power to make it up to her for almost killing her.

He walked with her, tried to talk to her, annoyed her half to death, made her sick with all his disgusting thoughts and tried to act like a gentleman, meaning opening all the doors for her. It really drove her crazy.

Meanwhile, Mike and Eric were really happy and were practically dancing around all the time. They had too noticed Edward's lack of attention towards her and they both had been quite worried and angry that he had decided to take interest in the new girl with who they had a chance (as if). Now that didn't seem to be so anymore, they were just really happy. Now they only had to worry about the other.

Mike was the first to make a move on her, it was a few days after the accident, and asked her to go out with him on Saturday. She turned him down with the excuse that she was still feeling a little dizzy because of the crash. Apparently he didn't saw it as a turn down or a hint that she didn't like him in that way because he told her cheerfully that there would always be a next time.

Eric was the next one and Tyler shortly followed. They both asked her in the week of Valentine, she both turned them down and neither of them got the hint.

On Valentine self she had gotten tons of love letters and cards but her mouth had dropped open when a courier had walked into the class carrying a huge bouquet of red roses. They had been for her and she had turned red while everyone else had sniggered and giggled.

The card that had been attached to it, hadn't been signed with a name but Rachel had recognized the hand writing and the words also had given the sender away. "Happy Valentine's Day. I hope Forks suits you."

It had brought tears in Rachel's eyes and she hadn't been able to suppress a smile when she had realised he was still thinking of her. Especially the smile caused a lot of boys to become jealous and the next few weeks speculations over who had sent her that bouquet was in the centre of the attention.

Even though she should have probably thrown the bouquet away, she just couldn't. She loved roses and they were so beautiful that she wondered how much money he had spent on them. That was why she couldn't get it over her heart and she placed the roses in a vase in her bedroom the moment she got home. And every morning she had smelled them before going downstairs to eat breakfast.

February started to near its end when Mr Banner told his class that there was a field trip on the planning and that if they wanted to come along, they should let their parents sign their passes.

Rachel decided that something different would be good, even though she still didn't sleep very well because of the nightmares and the lack of sleep was again the cause for the fact that she got less control over her powers, even less then she normally had.

On the day of the field trip she went to school early and was waiting by her car until they would finally leave. Mr Banner was standing by the two school busses he had arranged and kept telling the students that arrived to give him their passes.

While waiting she went in her head over the car crash again. She pictured again where she was standing, where her car had been, where Edward had been. She kept playing it over and over in her head but never found a reasonable explanation for how it was possible that Edward had gotten to her so fast and how he had stopped the minivan.

The speed and strength he possessed matched with what her ex had been able to do. But Edward was different than him in a lot of ways and she wasn't sure if that was good or bad. So they weren't the same thing but then what were the Cullens?

Rachel's head shot up when she saw Edward, Alice and Jasper walk past her. Alice looked at her and smiled. Edward didn't even dare to look at her and just looked at the complete other direction.

Suddenly she wasn't looking at the three anymore but at Mike who had stepped in front of her and was standing way too close. "Look at you."

"What's wrong with the way I look?" wanted Rachel to know.

"You look barely alive."

"Yeah... I'm not really sleeping well."

"Ah, that sucks," said Mike. "So I wanted to ask you something."

Rachel rolled with her eyes. "If this is again about that bouquet and who sent it, I'm going to scream. I already told you before that that is private. Meaning: I'm not going to tell you or anyone else."

"I know, I know," said Mike quickly. "You told me that before. I gave up on it." Rachel rolled her eyes again when she heard the exact opposite in his thoughts. "No, I was wondering... I was wondering... It's kinda weird and I know it's a month away but I was just wondering..." Rachel noticed that Edward had stopped walking and was standing very far away from where she and Mike were standing. His head was turned slightly towards them but he kept his eyes locked on the ground. "I was wondering if you already a date for the spring dance."

"Spring dance?" wondered Rachel with a frown. "Aren't the girls the ones who need to ask the boys?"

"Yeah... I was just wondering..."

"And didn't Jessica already ask you?"

Mike's face turned uncomfortable. "She has. I just said I needed to think about it."

Rachel crooked an eyebrow. "Why would you say that?"

"Because I wanted to know if you were planning on asking me." Mike's cheeks had turned red. "Because in that case... Well..." He was stuttering now. "I would... would... would always say yes to you."

Rachel wetted her lips. "I think you need to accept Jessica's invitation."

Mike's face fell. "Are you planning on asking someone else?"

Rachel shook her head. "No. I'm not going at all. I already have something that weekend. I'm going to Paris."

"You're going to the city of love for a weekend?" asked Mike. He had a face that caused Rachel to smile a little. She didn't need to read his mind to know he was jealous.

"Huh-uh."

"And you can't go another weekend?" wanted Mike to know.

Rachel shook her head. "No. It needs to be that weekend." Mike now really couldn't hide his jealousy anymore. "You shouldn't keep Jessica waiting. It's not very nice."

"Right," muttered Mike, disappointment and jealousy dripping from his face.

"Hey, guys," called Mr Banner. "We've got to go. We really have to go. Green is what? Good. Let's go."

Rachel shrugged and looked at Mike. "Shall we go?"

Mike nodded and the two walked towards the bus. Mike went to sit beside Tyler while Rachel immediately shot in a seat at the front beside Angela and as far away as was possible from the boys.

* * *

The Biology field trip brought them towards a glass house where they were recycling almost everything that was biological.

"Eggshells, carrot tops," told Mr Banner them while lingering with Eric and some weird kind of barrel. The rest of the group walked on and after the woman that was their guide. "And now I'm going to make a steamy cup of composed tea."

"Give me that." Tyler took the glass from him and then walked on.

"This is recycling in its most basic form," explained Mr Banner. "Don't drink it! It's for that plants!"

Rachel, who was walking all the way at the end of the group, rolled with her eyes. Tyler had actually tried to drink it. Was he really that dumb or was it just the concussion he still had from the crash?

Her eyes narrowed when she saw Edward lingering by some plants and she walked past him, planning to just ignore him like he ignored her. To her surprise, he asked the moment she walked past him: "What's in Paris?"

Rachel gave him a cold look. "What? Are you talking to me?"

A small smile tugged in the corner of his mouth. "Of course I am."

"So what? No more silent treatment? You're really talking to me again?"

"Not really," was Edward's answer, again with a small smile on his lips that was begging to be shown. "So what's in Paris?"

"How do you know about that? Were you eavesdropping on me or something? And how were you even able to hear that? You were standing way too far away."

"You didn't answer my question," pointed Edward out, now walking beside her.

"Sucks to be at the other side of the line, huh?" snapped Rachel. "Now you know how I feel." She gave him a weird look. "And why should I answer your damn questions? You don't answer any of mine and you completely ignore me. Even saying hi is lately too much asked of you."

"Hi."

Rachel rolled her eyes again. "Nice try but now it's a little late." Then she got an idea. "You know what? You tell me how you stopped that van and I will tell you what's in Paris."

Of course he immediately had an answer prepared for her. "I had an adrenalin rush. It's very common and you can Google it."

Rachel glared at him. "If you think I'm going to believe that then you really think I'm stupid. So good job, you offended me even more." She gave him another glare. "And you can forget about that answer."

"I'm sorry," said Edward. "Forgive me. I'm being very rude, I know. But it's better this way."

"For who?" wanted Rachel to know. "For you or for me?"

"For both of us," was Edward's answer.

Rachel stopped walking and glared again at him. "Listen, Mr I-know-everything-best. You don't get to tell me what's good for me and what's not. I get to do that myself. And if you really think that being rude and ignoring me is for the best then you should have thought of that before. Then you could have saved yourself the regret."

"Regret?" He sounded confused. "What should I regret?"

"That you stopped that minivan from killing me. Really, you would have done both of us a huge favour if you hadn't interfered and if you had just let me die."

His face turned to stone and his eyes flashed with anger. "You think I regret saving your life?"

"I know you do," snapped Rachel.

"You don't know anything."

"You be surprised," was Rachel's cold answer and she walked on. To her dismay he kept following her. "What is it this time?"

"I did gave you an answer. You might have not liked it or believed it but I did give you one."

"Bugger off, Edward. I'm not telling you. It's none of your damn business," snapped Rachel.

And when Jessica ran towards her and grabbed her arm, she had never been happier to see her. "Rachel!" she screamed happily, not even noticing that Edward was standing beside them. "Mike said yes!"

"That's great," smiled Rachel.

"You don't mind, do you?" she then asked. "It's not like you were planning on asking him, right?"

"Me and Mike?" Rachel snorted. "Yeah, like that is ever going to happen. He's all yours, Jess. You two seem just fine for each other."

"So you don't mind?"

"No, not at all."

"So who are you going to ask?" wanted Jessica to know, still obvious to the fact that Edward was walking behind them.

"I'm not going. I'm in Paris that weekend."

"Paris?" Jessica's whole face lit up. "You're going to the city of love?" Rachel nodded and Jessica's face started to shine. "To see the mystery man that sent you those beautiful roses?"

Rachel hid the pain that went through her chest and forced a smile on her face. "Maybe."

"Oh!" Jessica was now shaking her arm so hard that Rachel pulled a slightly painful face. "You have to tell me all about it when you're back! I really want to know everything about him!"

"Right," was Rachel's only answer.

After the tour they had to get their hands dirty, which Rachel enjoyed. Planting new flowers and giving them water was something she always had enjoyed. Back in France she had always been working in the garden during the weekends when she had finished her homework and hadn't made plans with any of her friends. It had been her garden and it had been full with all kind of beautiful flowers.

But with all the rain and cold in Forks, she had given up the dream on planting and looking after a small garden. It just wasn't going to happen.

The downside to the assignment was that they were placed in teams and she was in the same team as Eric, who seemed desperate to ask her something.

"Hey, Rachel?" he started slowly when they were walking next to each other.

"What is it, Eric?"

"Eh, I was wondering –" Rachel rolled her eyes. Not again. "– if you wanted to like to go with me to the spring ball?"

She repeated the same thing as she had to Mike. "I thought it were the girls that needed to ask the boys."

He turned red, just like Mike. "Eh, yeah... That's true."

"I'm not in Forks that weekend, sorry. I can't go with you. I'm going to Paris."

"Oh, well." He sighed disappointed. "Maybe next time."

Rachel forced a smile on her face. "Yeah, who knows?"

You know how they say trouble never comes alone and that three is a charm? Unfortunately for Rachel, both happened on the same day.

After almost a whole day in the glass house, the end was finally nearing and she put her coat back on. When she turned around she shrieked. She was now standing face to face with Tyler.

"Jesus, Tyler. Are you trying to kill me or something because I'm starting to think you really do after the crash and now the near heart attack."

Tyler smiled sheepishly. "Sorry."

"What is it?" wanted Rachel to know. Tyler grinned and Rachel sighed tiredly when she heard his thoughts. "Not you too." He now looked confused. "Alright, get it over with. What do you want to ask me?"

"Shall we go to the spring ball together?"

"I'm out of town that weekend, Tyler," sighed Rachel. "I'm going to Paris."

"Yeah, Mike already said something like that," grinned Tyler.

Rachel looked annoyed at him. "Then why in God's name did you ask me?"

"I thought that it was an excuse to turn him down without hurting him."

"It wasn't. I'm really going out of town," answered Rachel. She was starting to lose her temper. "Now if you'll excuse me."

She pushed past him and started walking towards the exit. She thankfully breathed in the fresh air and went with a hand through her hair.

While she walked back to the two busses, she passed a group of her fellow students that were messing around by a compost heap. Eric was among them and grinned when he saw her.

"Look, Rachel." He pushed a branch towards her where a worm was hanging on. "A worm."

Rachel pulled her nose up and pushed the branch away with her Telekinetic powers, causing it to break. She walked on without paying any more attention to them.

Suddenly there was another person walking with her and she turned around. Edward freaking Cullen. "What is it that you want this time?"

"I was wondering if you wanted..."

"Hell no!" snapped Rachel before he could finish. "You're not going to be the fourth who is asking me that bloody question! It's not an excuse, I'm really out of town that weekend and I'm really going to France!"

Edward smiled rather amused. "Will you just let me finish?"

Rachel put her arms over each other. "Fine."

"I was wondering if you wanted a ride to the airport when you're going to France."

Rachel's eyebrow shot up. "A ride from who?"

"Me of course."

"What? Now you've decided you want to do have contact with me? Do you have a split personality or something?"

"Not as far as I know."

"Thanks for the offer, but no thanks," bitched Rachel, giving him a cold look. "I can perfectly drive myself. And I already have a ride. Charles and Janet are taking me."

Edward stared at her. "Listen, Rachel. We shouldn't be friends."

"Friends?" asked Rachel. "This is what you call friendship? If this is really how you threat your friends, then you have a serious problem, Mr Cullen. I suggest you go and see a psychiatrist."

"What would you call it then?" wanted Edward to know, ignoring her last comment completely.

Rachel thought about it for a moment. No, they were not friend but he did know more about her then most other people and she was the one person to who he was talking, beside his family then. "I don't know. But this is not anything near friendship." She shook her head. "And you really should have figured that out earlier. It would have saved both of us a lot of trouble."

"I don't regret saving your life,' said Edward with a pained look on his face. "But I'm curious as why you think it would have been better for you if I had let you die."

"Because..." Rachel sighed a little frustrated. "Because everything would have stopped if I had died. The pain, the confusion, the irritation of not knowing, the brainteaser, the whole mystery. It would have all have stopped. I wouldn't have felt it anymore." She looked even more frustrated at him. "I'm going crazy, okay? Absolutely crazy. I hate not knowing what's going on and you're keeping me on a leash. A very short one might I add."

"Trust me, that's not my intention."

"Then what is?" wanted Rachel to know. "What do you want from me? Make a choice, Edward. Do you want to talk to me and become friends or do you want nothing to do with me and ignore me? Pick one because you switching back and forth is just confusing."

Edward looked down. "I'm sorry."

Now she was busy, Rachel wasn't going to stop. "And don't be so damn jealous."

Edward's head shot up and he stared into her eyes. "Excuse me?"

"You were jealous when Mike asked me to go to the spring ball with him. You were jealous when Eric asked and you were jealous when Tyler asked. Also you can't stand the thought that I'm going to Paris, the city of love. That's why you want to know so desperately what is in Paris."

"I'm not..."

"Don't you dare to lie," snapped Rachel. "I think your brother knows very well what kind of emotions you feel, seeing as he possesses some weird kind of empathy." The lines in Edward's face hardened. "You're jealous and I know you are, making it only more confusing. Really, pick one. Hate me or care for me. Just stop doing whatever it is that you're doing." Edward looked now slightly angry at her. "And because you want to know so desperately? I'm going to Paris for the birthday of my best friend. She's turning seventeen next week and I can't be there on the day itself. So we're going to Paris to shop and celebrate her seventieth birthday a month later with just the two of us. So I'm not meeting any man, although there probably will be some flirting involved in our plans."

They exchanged some angry looks but their little contest was stopped when Jasper and Alice joined them. "Hi," greeted Alice with a cheerful smile while looking at Rachel. "Are you going to be riding with us?"

"No," answered Edward. "Our bus is full."

He smashed his fist on the door, causing it to go open, and he and his two siblings stepped into the bus. Rachel gritted with her teeth and closed her eyes while leaning against the side of it. Her blood was boiling. She needed to calm down.

Her eyes snapped open and the compost heap where Eric and a view other students were standing, Tyler and Mike were also among them, caught suddenly fire and started to burn. The students screamed and jumped back.

Rachel cursed slightly and rubbed the side of her head. That was what happened when she got angry. Her powers just came out and she couldn't stop them.

She walked to her own bus and opened the door. She didn't like it but it did help her to calm down and get her temper under control. Taking it out on something helped, even though she didn't like it.


	10. La Push

**Hi, hi!**

**God, I'm a little late with updating, aren't I? Really sorry about that, my mom's birthday was today so we had a lot of guests over at the house to celebrate. And the entire weekend! God, am I happy that they're all gone and we've some peace and quitness again...**

**I had May holiday, no idea how you guys call it in your countries but that's what it's called in the Netherlands. It's that holiday you've in May. I'm drifting off... So I had May holiday and I've been working really hard on this story. And I think I'm going to suprise you guys a lot in a future chapter. Like really a lot. ****Not going to give too much away. That wouldn't be fair. **

**I still haven't finished this story completely yet, unfortunately :( but I'm doing my best to keep the updates regular, like on each tenth of the month (or twelth in this in case). **

**I might start updating more soon because I'll have to stop for a long while when the summer holiday arrives (God, how I long for that). Yeah, that's a defiantly maybe.**

**I've talked for already too long. I won't hold you up any longer. ShadowsOfTheDay and Alexstarlight18, thank you very much for your reviews. And thank all of you who have favourited this story or who are now following it. I love you guys, even if you don't review.**

**Reviews are, however, very very welcome and I really love them. Just type a little review at the end of the chapter, you can even do it anonymous. Just let me know what you think. I don't mind if you hate it or have criticism. I want to hear your opinion. So please let me know.**

**I don't know yet when I'll update again but keep an eye out. I hope it will be sooner then 10th June. **

**Review please!**

**XxX Emmetje**

* * *

New Girl in Town

Chapter 9

La Push

* * *

More than a week passed but Rachel didn't forget about the argument she and Edward had and it was her who did the ignoring this time, not that he tried very hard to talk to her.

But when Friday finally arrived, Rachel was with her head completely somewhere else and even started to forget a little that she should be angry at the strange pale skinned boy.

When she walked from history to the cafeteria all on her own, she was multitasking: walking, pressing a phone against her ear, talking to the person on the other side of the line and packing her bag too.

"I really wish I could be there."

"_Mon Dieu, Rachel! Will you please stop saying that?_" begged Jessamine. "_I know you would much rather be here and celebrate my birthday this weekend and I much rather have you here too but we can't change how the things are. And truthfully, spending a weekend in Paris with you sounds better than having to endure the pain that is called my family._" Rachel cursed slightly when two of her books and one of her notepads fell out of her bag. "_And what on earth are you doing?_"

"I'm sorry, Jessa. I'm trying to multitask."

Jessamine laughed. "_You suck at that._"

"I know," chuckled Rachel amused but also with a desperate look on her face. "I just really wish I could do it as well as you can. You still have to tell me how it's possible that you polished your nails and did your hair at the same time without making it look like a disaster."

"_It's a gift_," laughed Jessamine.

"Yeah, a gift I envy."

"_Sorry, I must have heard that wrong. The girl everyone envied when she was still living here envies me? You've got to be joking._"

Rachel smiled and threw her bag over her shoulder again. "No, I'm not. I mean it, Jessa. I would have given all of that up if I would only be a little more like you."

"_Rachel, I'm the grey mouse who everyone started to ignore again after you left. There's nothing about me that you should envy._"

Rachel frowned. "What do you mean with everyone started to ignore you again?"

"_Come on, cheríe. We both know that the only reason why I was popular was because I was your best friend. Now that you're gone, I'm just the grey mouse at the back of the class again. No one who is popular pays attention to me anymore._"

"I'm sorry..."

"_Don't be!_" protested Jessamine with a laugh. "_I'm actually happy that those bitches don't pay attention to me anymore. I'm having a nice and peaceful life again._"

"I'm not sorry for that," corrected Rachel her. "I'm sorry that Adrian has stopped paying attention to you too."

"_How did you know that he stopped paying attention?_" asked Jessamine, sounding rather surprised.

"Because he only goes out with girls that are popular, just like him. It wasn't that hard to figure out."

"_I see_," chuckled Jessamine. "_But don't be sorry. Adrian was cute, I can't deny that. Neither can I deny that it was nice having him flirt with me but it only lasted that long. I realised already a long time ago that he isn't with who I want to be. I could never have with him what you had with..._" She cut her own sentence quickly off. "_Well, you know._"

Rachel smiled sadly while walking into the cafeteria. "Yeah, I do."

"_What you two had was just something special. I don't think anyone expected things to end between the two of you, like ever._"

"What?" laughed Rachel, even though the pain in her heart was getting more to the surface with each word she heard. "Everyone expected us to be together for the rest of our lives?"

"_And get married and probably have tons of children? Yeah, that comes close enough to what they were thinking._"

"He wasn't the marrying kind of type," whispered Rachel with sadness in her eyes.

"_I know that and you know that but everyone else seems clueless about it. Do you know that more than the half of the people here actually believe that he is with you in Forks and that you two secretly keep the romance going? And that he will be going on one knee after graduation, if not before._"

"Oh, he's defiantly not here," answered Rachel who glanced at the table where the five Cullens were sitting on. Alice was sitting in Jasper's arms and was leaning against him. Her eyes were focussed straight on her and when she saw that she was looking back, she smiled widely. Edward noticed her too and they exchanged looks before he looked away and muttered something to Emmett who was sitting beside him. "I think I would know if he was."

"_And you haven't heard anything from him? At all?_"

"Hey, my phone was the unfortunate victim of a van that went all killer on me, remember? He doesn't know that or that I've a new number. And he doesn't know the new number of the house either."

"_So nothing?_" asked Jessamine, clearly finding that strange.

"Well..." started Rachel with hesitation in her voice.

"_Well what?_" asked Jessamine, immediately curious.

"He sent me a large bouquet of roses on Valentine's day."

"_He did not?!_" shrieked Jessamine, clearly excited.

"He did. And the courier who was delivering it walked just straight into the class to give me the bouquet, letting everyone know immediately that I had gotten a bouquet of roses from a secret admirer. Or that's what they think."

"_Only we know he isn't that secret or much of an admirer, seeing as you dated him._"

"Hey!" greeted Eric enthusiastic when she reached the table she normally sat on with her friends. "La Push, baby. Are you in?"

Rachel frowned. "Jessa, do you have a moment?"

"_Sure._"

Rachel placed her new phone against her shoulder and looked at Eric. "Should I know what that means?"

"La Push beach down by the Quileute Residence. We're all going," explained Mike.

"There's a big storm coming in causing big waves," joined Jessica in.

"And I don't just surf the internet," said Eric who jumped up and did some weird kind of surfing pose. Mike followed him and jumped up too but thankfully Tyler pulled him back on his butt.

"Eric, you stood on a board once and it was a total disaster," pointed Jessica out.

"There's whale watching too," told Angela Rachel. "You should come with us."

"Is it this weekend?" asked Rachel while thinking if she had something this weekend.

"Yep."

"La Push, baby," said Eric. "It's _La Push_."

Rachel gave him a weird look while placing her bag on the only empty chair. "Okay, I will go if you stop saying that."

"Seriously, dude," agreed Mike. "It's creepy."

Rachel pressed the phone back against her ear while walking away from the table to get herself some lunch. "I'm back."

"_That sounded pretty friendly_," said Jessamine.

"Yeah, they're kind of nice. The girls way more than the boys."

"_Let me guess, the boys just want to get in your pants._"

Rachel smiled. "However did you guess that? It's just such a big mystery. No one ever wants to get in my pants."

"_Except almost every single boy that ever lays eyes on you_," giggled Jessamine. "_Good thing you're still taken then._"

Rachel grabbed a bowl and started placing fruit and vegetables in it. A healthy salad for lunch would be something different. "And how exactly am I still taken?"

"_Oh, you know how_," giggled Jessamine. "_Not to rub even more salt in your wounds but you can't even say his name out loud without starting to cry. Am I wrong?_"

Rachel sighed. "No, you're not. But it is getting easier to talk about him. It still hurts but at least my mood doesn't change completely whenever someone starts about him. Maybe in few more months I will be able to say his name out loud again." She rubbed the back of her neck. "Although those roses didn't help me to get over him."

"_Maybe he doesn't want you to forget. I still think he will come running back to you someday, Elle. Maybe he will even go on his knees and beg you to take him back._"

"Right. Like he will ever sink that low," chuckled Rachel. "We're talking about the same man here, right?"

"_Oh, absolutely. But don't let yourself be fooled. He was really crazy about you and still is if he's sending you flowers._"

"Yeah..." Rachel looked through some more vegetables. "You know, I think it's going to be hard to be back in Paris."

"_Why? Because it's the city of __**love**__?_"

"No, because it's the city where I met him, where he first kissed me and where we spent most of our time together."

Jessamine let out a dream sigh. "_Taking you to the top of the Eiffel Tower was so romantic._"

"Oh, stop it," laughed Rachel. "If you keep sighing and talking like that I might start thinking that you were more crazy about him then I was."

"_He wasn't not really my type_," mentioned Jessamine, sounding rather lightly about it. "_God, he was such an ass._"

"Still is and don't we all know it?" laughed Rachel.

"Are you on a diet?"

Rachel shrieked and accidently pushed an apple that was lying beside her hand from the cart where she was standing at. A foot kicked it back up and two pale skinned hands caught it and held it towards her in their palms.

Edward was standing beside her. "Rachel."

"_Who is that?_" asked Jessamine. "_He sounds really creepy._"

"Huh-uh," was Rachel's answer. "Hey, I call you back, okay?"

"_Okay. Talk to you later._"

Rachel pressed the call away and slipped her mobile in one of the pockets of her jeans. "You know, you're mood swings are kind of giving me a whiplash." She took the apple from him and placed it in her bowl. "Nice catch, though."

"I only said that it would be better if we weren't friends, not that I didn't want to be."

Rachel rolled with her eyes. "And what exactly does that mean? And just give me a straight and normal answer, please. I get headaches of the cryptic ones you always give me."

"It means that if you were smart you would stay away from me."

Rachel placed a few slices of cucumber in her bowl and glanced at him from out the corners of her eyes while doing so. "You know, I keep getting more and more the feeling that you can't stay away from me, not the other way around." This time she turned half towards him. "And again, I decide what's good for me and what's not, not you. But let's say for arguments sake that I'm not smart and I won't stay away from you. Will you tell me the truth then?"

"No," was his immediate answer causing Rachel to roll her eyes again. "Probably not." Now she crooked an eyebrow and gave him a daring look, telling him without words that he wasn't doing himself any favours. "I rather hear your theories."

"Promise you won't laugh," was Rachel's demand while keeping her eyes focussed again on everything green that was laying in front of her.

"I promise."

"I considered radioactive spiders and kryptonite." She saw how a smile tugged at the corners of his lips and she gave him a hard glare. "You promised you wouldn't laugh!"

"I'm not laughing," he quickly defended himself. Still a chuckle escaped his throat. "But that's all superhero stuff, right?"

Rachel shrugged. "Don't know where else to look."

"What if I'm not the hero?" asked Edward her. "What if I'm the bad guy?"

Rachel sighed and looked up at him. "You're not," she told him, looking him straight in the eyes. "I met the bad guys and you're not anything like them. And I see what you try to put off but I can also see that it's just a way to keep me away from you. To keep me away from the truth. It's a mask." Then she smiled and turned to the vegetables again. "And I did went over the bad guys but besides your eyes you don't really have much of a werewolf, you don't burn in the sun so that a no for a vampire too and you don't grave for brains so you're not a zombie either. And I don't believe that witches are incredibly strong and fast, unless they have a broom. That would leave Frankenstein's monster."

Edward chuckled a little. "Frankenstein's monster?"

Rachel shrugged, also with a smile, and looked back up at him. "Hey, it's possible. You started painting your skin white so nobody would notice the green colour and somewhere under your clothes you're hiding all the stitches that keep you together."

"Didn't Frankenstein's monster limb?" asked Edward, he was now really close to bursting out in laughter.

"Yeah, and he wasn't really that good looking either. Nor did he have two sisters and two brothers. So that's another no." Edward chuckled some more. "See, how hard is this?" His smile quickly disappeared. "And now you're just pretending that it is. Spoilsport." Edward remained silent. "Why don't you come with us to the beach this weekend? A lot of students are going. Just try to have some fun and hang out with other people besides your family for a change."

"Which beach?" wanted Edward to know after a long silence.

"La Push," answered Rachel.

Edward's face immediately turned uncomfortable. "I don't know."

"Is there something wrong with that beach?" wanted Rachel to know.

Edward glanced over his shoulder and Rachel followed his gaze. He was looking at her table and she saw how every single person at that table quickly looked away when they looked towards them. They were spying on them. Of course they were.

He looked at her again. "It's just a little crowded."

"Rubbish," denied Rachel. "Everyone will be in the water to surf."

But Edward shook his head. "Sorry. Maybe next time."

Rachel rolled with her eyes again, not really believing there would ever come a next time. "Whatever."

* * *

The next day Rachel was awoken by the sun, causing her to be in quite a good mood. She got dressed and went downstairs to eat breakfast. She had just finished it when a car honked outside.

Rachel quickly said goodbye to Janet and hurried outside. There were two cars: a Chevrolet Suburban and a Nissan Sentra. Mike was sitting in the Chevrolet, Tyler in the Nissan. Angela and Jessica were sitting also in the Chevrolet so Rachel stepped also in that car, much to Mike's delight.

By the time they arrived at La Push, the weather had changed. It was still not too cold but the wind had picked up and there were starting to appear grey clouds on the sky.

The two vans were immediately opened and surf boards were pulled out and placed against the side of the vans and the wetsuits quickly followed.

"The water looks freezing," told one of the boys that went along and whose name Rachel didn't know, them.

"I'm going in," said Tyler, trying to be brave and he ran with his surf board under his arm towards the beach.

"I don't know if it's worth it anymore," said Eric, who was still busy trying his wetsuit on, just like Mike and Jessica.

"We came all the way out here. You can't back down now," was Jessica's response. "You guys are such babies."

Angela and Rachel were two of the few that didn't went surfing and they were sitting in the Chevrolet with blankets wrapped around them.

"So..." started Angela with hesitation in her voice. "I keep thinking that Eric is going to drop some hints that he wants us to go to the spring ball together or ask me but he just doesn't."

Rachel turned to her. "Then stop waiting. Take control. You're a strong independent woman. You don't need to wait until he drops hints or until he asks you. Just go to him and ask him."

Angela looked a little doubtful. "I am?"

"Defiantly," was Rachel's answer. "And I'm almost hundred percent sure that he will say yes. Just wait and see."

Angela smiled but couldn't respond to that because Jessica joined them and turned her back to Rachel. "Can you zip me up?"

"Sure." Rachel pulled the zipper up. "There. All done."

"Thanks."

"Hey, Rachel!" called someone suddenly.

Rachel looked passed Jessica and saw a familiar face coming towards them, followed by two unfamiliar faces. She smiled widely when she recognized the person. "Hey, Jacob."

Jacob Black stopped when he reached her, his two friends just staid a little further away. "So what are you doing here?"

"Well, as you know I love going to the beach. And seeing as it's such lovely weather –" She glanced at the sky that was getting greyer with each minute. "– I decided to go sunbathing and get my tan back."

"You're being sarcastic again," chuckled Jacob. "So that wasn't just a onetime thing because you wanted to leave an impression on us during dinner."

"Nope. I'm pretty much always like this." Rachel mentioned towards him. "Guys, this is Jacob Black."

"Hey," grinned Jacob waving towards the two girls. "How are you doing?"

"Hi," greeted Jessica back.

Jacob sat down beside Rachel in the car and she reached the candy she was holding and had taken with her here, towards him. "Thanks."

Rachel looked at his two friends. "You guys want some too?" But they just shook their heads no so she turned to Jacob again. "Are you stalking me now or something?" she joked. "I know I left quite an impression but stalking? Really?"

"You sure it's not the other way around," teased Jacob back. "You're on my land now, remember?"

"What?" chuckled Rachel. "We're choosing lands again? In that case, you can have the United States this time as long as I get Great-Brittan. Gotta love the British." The others looked weirdly at them. "We plaid Risk last time," Rachel explained. "But instead of doing what our instructions were, we just started fighting for the lands we wanted."

"She won," grinned Jacob.

Jessica suddenly smiled widely. "You guys should keep Rachel company. Her date bailed."

"What date?" asked Eric who suddenly looked scared, just like Mike.

"She invited Edward," chuckled Jessica.

"Just to be polite," defended Rachel herself quickly. "That's it."

"I think it's nice of her to invite him," came Angela to her defence. "Nobody ever does."

"Yeah, because the Cullens are freaks," snorted Mike. Clearly he was jealous.

"You got that right," agreed one of the two boys that had tagged along with Jacob.

"You guys know them?" asked Rachel, crooking her head a little.

The face of the tallest guy got an almost stone like expression. "The Cullens don't come here." The way he said it just ended the whole conversation and nobody dared to ask more about it either.

Rachel, however, blinked slightly confused. The Cullens didn't come here? Why was that? Had it also something to do with why Edward had looked so uncomfortable when she had told him that everyone was going to La Push?

"So?" asked Jacob, interrupting the millions of questions that were starting to form themselves in her head. "Do you still hate it to be here?"

"Not as much as I used to," smiled Rachel. "I'm finally getting used to being here. Although I'm really looking forward to go back to France in two weeks."

"Visiting one of your friends?" asked Jacob.

"Yeah, my best friend, Jessamine," nodded Rachel. "We're meeting in Paris and we're going shopping there for a long weekend."

"Shopping." Jacob nodded, though he didn't look to comfortable about it. "Sounds exciting."

"Shopping in Paris is really amazing," laughed Rachel. "So yeah, it's really exciting. We're probably going to do some sightseeing too."

"The Eiffel Tower?" guessed Jacob.

"Defiantly not," came Rachel's sharp answer.

"Why not?" asked Angela, who clearly had also been listening, just like Jessica, Mike and Eric. Jacob's two friends had disappeared but to where she did not know. "Isn't the Eiffel Tower the biggest thing to see in Paris?"

"I've already been on the Eiffel Tower," explained Rachel. She swallowed and hesitated. "With my ex."

"Ex?" asked Eric. He looked panicked again. "What ex?"

"Her ex from France, you idiot," said Jessica. "Try to keep up." She turned to Rachel. "He took you to the Eiffel Tower on a date?" Rachel nodded. "That's so romantic!"

Rachel nodded while biting on her lip. "It was. But that's why I don't want to go back there."

"Is your ex also still in France?" wanted Jessica to know.

Rachel shrugged. "I don't know. His plan was to go back to Virginia but who knows? Maybe we will run into him while we're shopping. That sure will be fun. Men with hurt pride are never much fun to be around."

"So what are you going to see?" asked Jacob to change the subject.

"Probably Notre Dame. Maybe the Louvre Museum." She shrugged. "We will probably just go shopping and visit a few clubs and bars during the evening. Nothing really big." She rubbed her hands over her upper arms. "So are you going to surf as well, Jake?"

"In this weather?" Jacob shook his head. "No, thank you."

"Look!" called Angela suddenly. "A whale!"

Rachel immediately focused her eyes on the sea and saw indeed water being blown into the sky. Everyone else around her had clearly forgotten about her trip to Paris and they were all now focussed on the whale.

Rachel glanced at Jacob who was chatting to her about things he knew about whales. She frowned slightly when she remembered what his friends had said.

She wanted to ask him but she got the feeling it was best to do that somewhere private. If only she could get him away from the others then maybe he could give her the answers Edward refused to give her.

* * *

**Please review! I really, really, reall love reviews and I want to know what you guys think. Is it any good? Am I being to predictable? Is Rachel too much like Bella? Do you like the story and Rachel or do you hate them both? Do you have any ideas how I can make it better? Please just review!**


	11. Terrifying Happenings

**Hey, guys. I know it's not the tenth or around that time but I did say something about updating a little sooner, didn't I?**

**Thank you ShadowsOfTheDay and wood-morning for your reviews. I've added some elements in this chapter that should make it less predictable. Also in future chapters things will be different then in Twilight. Let me know what you think about it. **

**I'll keep it real short, this author's note. Most people who read the story don't even read the author's note. Real shame, though I do understand. You're here to read the story, not listen to some crap the author is saying. **

**Please do review. It won't take much time and I would really appreciate it. And keep telling me what you like and don't. And questions are always answered, just to let you know. Just please review.**

**The update on the tenth still stands so check for a new update around that time.**

**Enjoy the chapter and review.**

**Xxx Emmetje**

* * *

New Girl in Town

Chapter 10

Terrifying Happenings

* * *

Rachel actually managed get away from everyone together with Jacob when the trip was nearing its end. She was still thinking about what one of his friends had said about the Cullens and desperately wanted to ask him.

The weather had changed, just like she had expected. The sun was now completely gone and it was raining softly.

Rachel and Jacob walked beside each other over the beach with their hands in their rain jackets and with the hoods up to shelter them from getting wet.

"Those two boys who were with you?" started Rachel her search for answers. "Are they friends of yours?"

"Not really," answered Jacob slowly. "Everyone here hangs out with each other and I do know them but to call them friends? No."

"So who were they?"

"Sam Uley and Jared Cameron. Sam was the tallest one of the two."

"And Sam was the one who said that the Cullens didn't come here?"

Jacob looked a little uncomfortable. "You caught that?"

"Hard not to," was Rachel's answer. "What did he mean with that?"

"Oh, the Cullens are not allowed to come here in the reservation."

"Why not?"

He looked really uncomfortable at her. "I'm not really allowed to say anything about this..."

"I won't tell anyone," promised Rachel. "I know how to keep a secret, no matter how big it is. Trust me. I'm just really curious."

Jacob hesitated for a few more moments but then shrugged and grinned at her. "Do you like scary stories?"

Rachel chuckled. "I love them."

"Have you ever heard one of the old stories? Of where we came from? I mean the Quileute tribe."

"Not really," was Rachel's answer. "Until I moved here I never heard about the Quileute tribe before. Sorry."

"No, that's okay." He shifted his hands a little. "We have many legends. Some go back from way before the flood. They say that the old Quileute's tied their canoes to the tops of the highest trees on the mountain to survive, just like Noah and his ark." He smiled sceptical at Rachel, telling her he didn't buy that story. "Other legends say that we are descends of wolves and that the wolves are still our brothers. It's against our laws to kill them."

"Wolves?" asked Rachel. "Like real wolves?"

"Yeah. Weird, huh?"

Rachel nodded. "Absolutely."

"But it's one of our legends. There is also a legend about the cold ones." He lowered his voice and made it sound softer to increase the effect.

"The cold ones?" repeated Rachel confused.

"Yeah. There are legends over the cold ones that are nearly as old as the wolf legends. There are also legends from much more recent. According to one of those legends my own great-grandfather knew them. He was the one who made treaty with them so they weren't allowed on our lands anymore." He rolled with his eyes, telling her yet again that he didn't buy it.

"Your great-grandfather?"

"He was an elder, just like my father. The cold ones are the natural enemies of the wolf. Well, not the real wolves but the wolves that can turn in humans, like our ancestors. You pale faces call them werewolves."

"You are a descended of werewolves?" asked Rachel with a crooked eyebrow. "Should I be worried that you turn in a men eating beast every full moon and that you are going to prey on me?"

Jacob chuckled. "It's just a story, Rachel."

Rachel didn't go against him but she knew that there were legends and myths and ghost stories that were actually true. She also remembered something about the enemy of the werewolves. Someone had told her that story before. "Don't werewolves only have one enemy?"

"Yeah, they do," nodded Jacob before continuing with his story. "So, the cold ones have been our enemies for as long as we can remember. But the group that came to our area when my great-grandfather lived, they were different. They didn't hunt like the rest of their kind hunted and it was because of that that my great-grandfather came to the conclusion that they weren't posing any threat to our tribe. So he made a truce with them. If they promised that they wouldn't come on our land, then we wouldn't expose what they really were to the pale faces." And he winked at Rachel when he said pale faces.

She was frowning, taking this new information in. "But if they weren't dangerous, then why..."

"It's always risky for people to be around the cold ones, even when they're as civil as this clan," told Jacob, now making his voice sound extra threatening and scary. "You never know when they become so hungry that they can't control themselves anymore."

"What do you mean with civil?"

"They claimed they didn't hunt on humans. They seemed to have found some kind of way to endure the first for human blood and only hunt on animals."

Rachel remained silent for a moment, giving her brain a chance to wrap itself around what Jacob had told her. "And what has that to do with the Cullens? Are they just like the cold ones your grandfather met?"

"No. They _**are**_ those creatures." A shiver ran down Rachel's spine and Jacob smiled satisfied. "But they're with more now. A new male and female joined them but the rest of them are still the same. Back in my great-grandfather's time they all knew the leader: Carlisle. He has been here and left again long before your kind came here."

"What are they?" asked Rachel, who still couldn't really wrap her thoughts around it and come to a conclusion. "Those cold creatures? What are they?"

"Bloodsuckers," answered Jacob in a scary voice. "You pale faces call them Vampires."

"Vampires?" asked Rachel, her eyebrows furred in confusion. "But they don't burn in the sun and they don't wear..." She quickly stopped herself when she realised she was saying too much. Instead she asked: "Are you sure that they're really Vampires?"

Jacob shrugged. "That's what the legends say."

Rachel frowned. "Odd..."

"What is?"

"Nothing really. It's just... They don't really fit the description of a real Vampire."

"What?" chuckled Jacob. "You don't actually believe, do you?"

"Of course not," answered Rachel quickly. "I just find it odd that your legends are so different from how a Vampire is described in our stories."

"What? You mean that they have no reflection and that they're so pale because they are the walking dead and that they burn in the sun and that holy water, garlic, crucifies and a stake through the heart are their weaknesses?"

"The whole not having a reflection is a fable. So is holy water. And garlic and crucifies are fake too," answered Rachel as if she was on automatic pilot. Jacob was now staring at her like she had gone crazy and she quickly shrugged, acting as if it was nothing. "A boy at my old school believed he was one and that he was able to walk in the sun because he had a ring that protected him from being burned."

Jacob burst out in laughter. "Really?"

"Huh-uh," nodded Rachel. "Weird, right?"

"Absolutely."

They were interrupted by a scream that made Rachel jump a little. Jessica ran past her, Mike was going after her and had something in his hands but she couldn't quite figure out what. It looked like a snake or something like that.

'Come on," chuckled Jacob. "Let's go back before they call your dad to tell him we went missing." Rachel shrugged as answer but remained silent. Her brain was still busy with trying to come with some kind of conclusion. "Did I scare you?" wanted Jacob to know.

"I still have Goosebumps," was Rachel's answer and that wasn't even a lie. The idea of the Cullens being Vampires was freaking her out.

"Awesome," grinned Jacob.

Rachel just nodded but kept thinking over the things he had told her. How could the Cullens be Vampires? They were nothing like Vampires. They were just too different. Maybe... Maybe there were two kind of Vampires.

She shivered when that thought crossed her mind. She didn't like that idea one bit. Besides, _he_ would have told her if there were two different kind of Vampires. Right?

* * *

The moment Rachel got home, she went upstairs and grabbed her laptop. She searched on Google for Quileute Legends and found some book results. After investigation it some more she also discovered that a small bookstore in Port Angeles sold them.

She wrote down the name and address and placed it in her purse, knowing that she would never leave the house without it and that if she happened to be in Port Angeles, she would know where to go.

On Sunday nothing much happened. She did her homework, painted a few things, made diner, bought a ticket for her flight to France, booked a hotel room and had contact with Jessamine to agree on a time and place where they would meet.

When she was woken by her alarm on Monday she again noticed that the sun was shining and she left for school in a very good mood. And there she noticed something odd: the Cullens were nowhere to be find.

During the lunch break she enjoyed the sun on her skin and was sunbathing together with Jessica while keeping an eye open for the Cullens. But they were yet again nowhere to be seen.

"Say, Jess?" she asked the girl beside her.

They were sitting on a table outside. Jessica was leaning on her hands and was keeping her head in her neck while Rachel was lying just flat on her back. Jessica was wearing a top, Rachel had thought that was being a little too enthusiastic so she had pulled on a shirt with three quarter sleeves that she had rolled up.

"Yeah?"

"How come the Cullens aren't here?"

"Did nobody tell you?" Jessica asked slightly surprised and opened one eye to look at her.

"Tell me what?"

Jessica closed her eye again and let her head lean even more back. "I take that as a no. Whenever the weather is nice and warm and sunny the Cullens disappear."

Rachel frowned, finding that odd. "What? They just ditch?"

"No. Dr and Mrs Cullen yank them out for hiking and camping and stuff. I wish my parents were like that but they don't come even close."

Angela joined them and she was grinning so widely that Rachel turned on her side and pushed herself up a little. "Okay, spill. What did you do?"

Angela now started to gloat. "I did it. I took control. I stepped towards him, just like you said, and I asked him." She started gloating even more. "I'm going to the spring dance with Eric."

"See," smiled Rachel while giving Angela a quick hug. "I told you he would say yes."

"Are you sure you have to go out of town?" wanted Angela to know. "It would be so much more fun if you would also come."

"I already bought a ticket and booked a hotel," answered Rachel. "And I haven't seen Jessamine in weeks and I feel really bad for not being able to be there on her birthday. It's not every day a girl turns seventeen." She smiled slightly when she saw Angela's sad face. "There will always be next time."

That cheered her up. "So true."

"We should go shopping in Port Angeles after school," said Jessica. "We need to find our dresses before all the good ones get cleaned out."

That caught Rachel's attention. "Mind if I come with you?"

Jessica opened her eyes and gave Rachel a dry look. "When I said we, I meant us three. We need your opinion."

"Exactly," nodded Angela. "So if you like it or not, you're coming."

Rachel smiled slightly. "Good to know."

Shortly after that the bell went and the three grabbed their bags and walked inside towards their next lesson while talking about their shopping trip and what colour dresses would be best to wear. And for a moment Rachel forgot all about the mystery that was Edward Cullen.

* * *

"I like this one. But I'm not sure about the one shoulder thing."

"I really don't like this one."

"Yeah, the beating with the jewellery is really nice."

"What do you think, Jess? Is lavender a good colour?"

"I like that dusty rose one too."

Rachel couldn't help but smile amused when she heard Jessica and Angela go back and forward over what they liked and what they didn't.

They came out of their dressing rooms and showed her the two new dresses they were wearing. Jessica was wearing a pink dress with a neckline that showed so much of her cleavage that boys wouldn't have to imagine very much about it anymore.

Angela was wearing a long lavender dress that was going with all kind of straps over her colour bone to her neck. It didn't suite her well.

"I really like this one," said Jessica while looking at herself in the mirror. "It makes my boobs look good."

A group of four men walked past and one of them knocked on the window and yelled "Nice" through it.

Angela turned embarrassed away while the group walked on but not before one of them had also knocked on the piece of window where Rachel was sitting in front. She just rolled her eyes again. She was getting tired of all the pushy men around her, especially Tyler Crowley who was telling everyone he was taking her to prom. Jessica and Angela had told her that when they had been on their way to Port Angeles.

"That's uncomfortable," sighed Jessica, causing Rachel to stop thinking about how much she wanted to hit Tyler.

"It's disgusting," she dropped, making the two look at her.

"What do you think?" wanted Jessica to know and she mentioned towards the dresses she and Angela were wearing.

Rachel shrugged. "They're nice."

Angela sighed. "You said the exact same thing over the last six dresses too."

"I know. But they all look nice." The two kept staring at her, waiting to get something more out of her. She sighed again. "No offence, Angela, the dress is really nice but it just doesn't look right on you. You should try something strapless. And Jessica." She remained silent for a moment. "Wear that dress and Mike will not be able to keep his eyes off you for the entire evening. His eyes will be glued on your cleavage for the rest of the evening."

Jessica started to gloat. "I think this is defiantly going to be my dress."

Angela however noticed something else. "You're not really into this, are you?"

Rachel shook her head. "It's just brings memories back. Painful memories."

"Your ex?"

Rachel nodded. "He always took me shopping and liked to see me in dresses like that."

"If you rather want to wait outside..."

"Actually," interrupted Rachel. "I want to visit this bookshop. Is it okay if I meet you two later at the restaurant?"

"You sure?" asked Jessica. "There are some pretty weird men lurking in dark alleys."

"I'll be fine," promised Rachel. "I know how to defend myself. I will meet you guys at the restaurant in half an hour, okay?"

The two nodded and Rachel grabbed her stuff and walked out of the store. The sun was already beginning to set and it started to become colder.

She quickly walked through the streets towards where the bookstore was. It was laying quite remote and away from the rest of the city.

It took her well counted twenty minutes before she finally found it and she started to look around the moment she entered. She found the book she was looking for quite quickly and decided to look around some more and finally left the store with five different new books. They all just had one thing in common: their themes were history, legends and myths.

It was dark when she stepped out of the bookstore and she cursed slightly when she looked at her watch. She had spend more than half an hour in the store and now she was running late.

She hurried down towards the main street while pushing the new bought books in her bag. When she heard something move in the bushes she froze and looked around. There was nothing to see but the hairs at the back of her neck were standing up and shiver after shiver ran down her spine. Something was lurking around. Something dangerous.

Rachel took a slow glance around before deciding to make her way back to civilization as quickly as she could. Being so far away from it freaked her out, not to mention that alleys and remote places were always the kind of places where a woman was either raped or murdered and with her luck, that was just the thing that was going to happen.

She quickly made her way down the small stairs only to walk straight into a small alley. Taking fast steps to make it down the alley, she felt more shivers run down her spine and glanced over her shoulder to the end but saw nothing. She did, however, see something when she looked straight ahead again. Two shadows walked past the exit of the alley only to walk back and into it when they saw her.

Rachel swallowed and turned around and quickly walked back when she saw the two nearing her. Unfortunately they followed her and when she heard what they were thinking, she started to feel the need to throw up.

"Hey!" she heard one of the call out to her. "I saw you at that dress store!"

Rachel let out a groan while quickening her pace. Great, it were two of the men who had walked past the window of the shop when she had still been there with Jessica and Angela. Just great. Things couldn't get possibly worse.

"Where are you running off to, honey?" called the second man after her.

Rachel ignored them again and quickly turned around the corner. If she walked fast enough she could make it around the building and to the main road and back to civilization. They would probably leave her alone when there would be other people around.

She took a sharp breath when she nearly bumped into two other men who were blocking her path. The smell of alcohol and heavy cigarettes made her want to throw up.

She took a step back and glared at the two men in front of her who were grinning sheepishly. "Get out of my way."

"Oh, feisty, aren't you?"

"I like pretty things with sharp tongues."

Rachel glared even more at them. "I'm sorry but I'm not really into the pathetic lost causes. You should probably find some else to bother."

The sound of two men chuckling made her glance back over her shoulder and she saw the two men from the alley nearing them. "There she is!" one of them cheered, raising his arms and grinning as if she had just told him she would love to stick around.

"Men," muttered Rachel annoyed while rolling her eyes.

"_Someone, help me..._"

Rachel froze when she heard the faint call of someone's thoughts begging for help. They were formed in a woman's voice and it sounded weak, which wasn't good news.

Her eyes scanned around and finally landed on two shadows standing on the emergency staircase that was attached to the building she had wanted to go around. It were a man and a woman and the man was holding the woman close. To anyone else it looked like they were making out but a shiver went down Rachel's spine and fear overtook her when she realised that wasn't the case.

Yes, the man was holding her but his lips were on her neck, not on her lips, and the body of the woman was very limp in his arms.

"_Please..._" The voice died down and another shiver ran down Rachel's spine. That could mean two things: she was either dead or she was unconscious. She guessed the latter but she also guessed it wouldn't take long before she would be dead. And when the woman would be dead...

Panic struck her together with fear. She needed to get out of there and fast.

Rachel tried to move past the four men who were now surrounding her but they stopped her. "Whoa, whoa, whoa! Where are you going?"

Rachel's heartbeat started to go up, which wasn't a good sign. "Get out of my way." But they didn't. "Move." Still they didn't budge. They even laughed at her attempts to get away. "Let me pass."

"What's the problem, girl?"

"She seems to want to leave."

"Ah, but the fun just started!"

"You're a good one, aren't you?"

One pair of hands, she didn't know to whom of them they belonged because she was desperately looking around to find an opening and get away, crept under her coat. She immediately turned around and slapped the arm away. "Don't touch me!"

"She doesn't seem to like that, man."

"Oh, come on, honey. Ease up a little."

Another hand tried to sneak under her coat and Rachel's eyes flashed with anger. In a swift move she turned around while pulling her hand into a fist and threw it towards the face of the man who was touching her. She made contact with his nose and it was followed by the unmistakable sound of something breaking.

The man backed down and pressed his hands against his now broken nose. "Bitch!"

The other three laughed, too drunk to realise that she wasn't going down with a fight and too drunk to worry about their friend or themselves.

"We've found ourselves a fighter!"

"I like her! She's going to be fun!"

"I want the first go!"

Someone pulled on her clothes and she turned around again, this time her flat hand came in contact with the side of a face. "Don't bloody touch me!"

"Oh, come on, babe," breathed one of them in her ear. "We know you want to."

"No need to play hard to get," said another, pulling on her clothes again. Her fist shot out towards him but he dodged it, more by a miracle then by actual thinking. He laughed. "I do love a girl who puts on a fight."

"Come on, we can show you an amazing time."

Rachel lost her temper when another one pulled on her clothes and she sent a kick his side and she hit her target perfectly: right between his legs. Her victim let out a girl like scream that were followed by some curses and he fell on his knees.

She turned around and hit another man in his face with her fist, sending him down. "When a girl breaks your pal's nose and says no, take a bloody hint and walk away!" she snapped at him before looking at the two remaining standing. "Has some sense crept into you two or do I have to hit it into you too?"

Before the two could answer a silver Volvo raced around the corner and drove straight towards them, stopping just inches away from the closest man who was still standing. His friends backed down in time and the two on the ground crawled away in fear.

Rachel, seeing an opening, bolted away from them only to freeze when her eyes landed on the couple on the staircase. The man had dropped the woman who was lying lifelessly on the ground and he was staring down at them with a rather hungry look in his red eyes. A tickle of blood was falling from the corner of his mouth down his chin.

"Get in the car."

Rachel looked away from the man when someone new spoke up and blinked surprised when she saw who it was. "Edward?"

He just gave her a cold look. "Now."

She didn't argue with him this time and hurried towards the passenger's side and shot into the car. She was breathing way too fast and her heart was beating so fast in her chest that it felt like it was about to jump out of it.

She pressed her hands against her head while closing her eyes and focussed her attention on her breathing. She needed to calm down.

Rachel opened her eyes again when Edward opened his side of the door and got in. The motor jumped to live and the car shot forward, nearly hitting the four men who were all standing again. They stumbled back and fell on the ground, crawling back even more to get away from the car.

Edward put the car in his reserve and turned around when there was enough space. They drove away from the deserted parking space and while they drove off, Rachel stared at the four men who had tried to rape her not moments before.

And just before she couldn't see them anymore, she saw how a figure grabbed one of the men by his hair and how he sank his teeth into the man's neck. She also noticed that the man on the staircase wasn't there anymore. Just the lifeless body of a dead woman.

* * *

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	12. Heated Conversations

**Hi, guys! How've you been?**

**I'm really sorry that I'm late with updating. I was sick at home yesterday and it totally slipped my mind. I'm really sorry.**

**Thank you, wood-morning, Ann4ever17, ShadowsOfTheDay, Mikki18 and DreamUnicorn247 for your reviews. I'm glad that you all liked the previous chapter and thought it was more original then the previous ones. I hope this chapter won't disappoint you.**

**Warning about this chapter, by the way. An unknown character is going to appear in this chapter and I'm curious if you guys can figure out who it is. **

**I don't know when I'll update again, I hope it will happen in two weeks but I can't promise for sure. If an early update doesn't happen (which I doubt) then you guys can expect a defiant update on the tenth of July, like always. That will be the last for a while seeing as the summer break will be going on around that time.**

**Please review and tell me what you like and dislike about this chapter, or what you like and dislike about Rachel. Also if you have any tips for me that would improve my writing and would make this story better, let me know. Just please review.**

**Enjoy the chapter!**

* * *

New Girl in Town

Chapter 11

Heated Conversations

* * *

To say that Rachel was in shock would be an understatement. Her attempts to get her breathing under control were failing and she was starting to hyperventilate while Edward drove onto the main road of Port Angeles, blocking several cars in doing so and causing almost more than one accident.

His crazy drive style wasn't helping her one bit to calm down and get her breathing under control. Better said, it was only making it worse.

"I should go back and rip their heads off!" breathed Edward out from beside her with his teeth clench tightly onto each other. His eyes were burning with hate and were literally black.

Realising he would go back to that place if he wanted to do that, made Rachel freak only more. "Absolutely not! There's no way you should do that!"

"You don't know the vile impulsive things they were thinking!" snapped Edward.

"In case you forgot, I was the one who they tried to rape, bloody moron!" snapped Rachel back. "So trust me when I say that it's not very hard to guess!" Edward clenched his teeth even tighter onto each other and Rachel rolled her eyes. Then she realised what he had blurted out and it caused her to calm down a little. "Hold on a minute." She got no response. "You said that I didn't know what kind of things they were thinking." Again no response. "Does that mean that you did know?"

He opened his mouth only to close it again. It made him look a little like a fish. Then he finally managed to get an answer out. "Like you said, it's not that hard to guess."

Rachel let out a snort in unbelief and shook her head. "God, you're probably the worst liar I've ever met."

The grip his hands had on the steering wheel tightened. "Can you talk about something else?"

She crooked an eyebrow. "About something else?" He nodded. "Like what?"

"It doesn't matter. Just distract me so I won't turn around."

Rachel just stared at him, now with both her eyebrows crooked. What in heaven's name was wrong with him? She was the one who had gotten nearly raped and who would have ended up dead in an alley once they would have been done with her but you didn't see her go crazy, drive as a maniac and threaten to go back and kill people, now did you?

She shook her head while letting out a sigh of unbelief. "You should put your seatbelt on."

Edward snorted at this but didn't relax, not in the slightest. "You should put your seatbelt on," he threw back at her.

"I have," was Rachel's dry answer. "And slow down before you kill us both."

"I know what I'm doing."

She rolled her eyes. "Yeah, that's defiantly something we don't agree on."

Edward's hands tightened even more. "Please, just distract me. Just talk about something meaningless until I've finally calmed down."

Rachel stared at him with both her eyebrows crooked again and gave him a look like she thought he had absolutely lost it. Finally she shrugged and told him: "I'm planning on hitting Tyler Crowley tomorrow morning with my car. Just before school starts."

"What?" Edward tore his gaze away from the road and stared at her, looking slightly distracted. "Why?"

"Because that son of bitch is telling everyone he's going to take me to prom. Like that is ever going to happen. I mean, I'm desperate but not that desperate." Edward blinked. "Jessica and Angela told me about it when we were on our way here. He is either absolutely delusional or he's still trying to make up for the fact that he nearly killed me, not that taking me to prom is going to settle that debt. Actually, I think it would be more likely he will end up really having my blood on his hands because I would rather kill myself then spend an entire evening in his company and as his date. Like I said, I'm not that desperate." Edward started to loosen his grip around the steering wheel. "Anyway, I was thinking about it and I thought that if I would nearly kill him, we can call it even. And who cares if I put him in the hospital for God may know how long? It would serve him right. So that's why I'm planning to hit Tyler with my car."

"I heard," was Edward's response to her story.

Rachel gave him a confused look. "You heard about what?"

"That he was telling everyone that he's taking you to prom."

"Really now?" Edward nodded, causing Rachel to glare at him. "So nice of you to tell me."

"I thought you knew," defended Edward himself.

She gave him a dry look. "Unlike you, I tend to try and stay out of people's head."

The muscles in his body immediately tensed up again. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Of course you don't," responded Rachel, still giving him a dry look. "I think we're past the stadium where you try to persuade me that you're absolutely normal, seeing as you just openly admitted that you knew what those men were thinking and you wanted to rip their heads off because of it. Normal people don't do or say that. And your family is not around to hear you give me answers so start talking. Now is your change to give me some answers."

"There's nothing to talk about."

Rachel's eyes narrowed themselves. "Really? You're going to give me that?" He remained silent and didn't even move his head. She let out another sigh of unbelief while slumping back in her seat. "I can't believe you," she muttered. "How did you even know where I was?"

"I didn't," was Edward's answer.

"So you just happened to decide to park your car in the deserted parking lot where I was nearly getting raped?"

"Yes."

"What were you doing in Port Angeles?"

"I needed to get some stuff."

"So you went shopping on the same day that you ditched school for no reason whatsoever," concluded Rachel. "You're not doing yourself any favours, you know?"

"I wasn't at school because my family and I went hiking and camping in the mountains."

Rachel still gave him a dry look. "Yet you're here in Port Angeles."

"We forgot a few things and I offered to buy them."

"And you wanted to park your car in a parking lot that was lying far away from the town's centre and so unknowingly came to my rescue."

"Exactly."

"Unbelievable," snorted Rachel, shaking her head in annoyance. "You know what? I've had it with you. Pull over." He didn't pull over. Worse, he started driving faster. "Edward, pull over." Again, no response. "Now!" Still nothing. "I mean it! I'll call 911 and report to them that you're kidnapping me if you do not pull over right now!"

He gave in and pulled over, glaring slightly at her when he stopped the car. "Happy?" Rachel was the one who didn't respond this time. Instead she unclasped her seatbelt and opened the door to get out. Panic almost immediately struck him. "Wait, where are you going?"

Rachel turned around and glared at him. "I meant what I said, Edward. I've had it with you. You don't want to tell me the truth? Fine. But don't think I'm sticking around then. I'm walking because anything is better than being stuck with you in the same car."

She threw the door close with a lot more force than that was really necessary and pulled her bag over her shoulder and started walking away while putting her arms over each other. She had really had it with him and she just needed some fresh air to calm down.

Another car door was thrown close and footsteps hurried after her. "Rachel, wait," she heard Edward call after her.

"Forget it, Cullen," snapped Rachel back. "The last thing I want right now is having to deal with you and your stupid lies."

"Please, Rachel. Get back in car. I didn't get you away from those men just..."

"Get lost, Edward," interrupted Rachel, turning around and glaring angrily at him. "I don't need your stupid ride and I don't need your bloody protection. I was handling myself just fine before you showed up so if you expected me to treat you like my knight in shining armour, I'll have to disappoint you."

Edward gave her a pleading look. "Please."

Rachel glared at him. "No. I'm not getting back in that car. You lie to me, you refuse to tell me anything, you drive like a maniac and I need some fresh air to calm down because I cannot believe that this is bloody happening ALL OVER AGAIN!" The last part she yelled in his face and she glared annoyed at the people that were staring at them with curiosity. They quickly looked away and she turned to Edward again. "I just got nearly raped and killed so I'm sorry if I don't want to deal with you and your stupid mystery right now!"

"I promise I'll drive slowly," tried Edward. "Just please get into the car again."

"I think she already made very clear that she doesn't want to come with you, mate," cut a new male voice with a heavy British accent, in from behind her.

Rachel looked around and saw a tall man with short blond hair that curled slightly. There was a cocky grin playing his lips but his eyes were standing completely serious and even warning.

A shiver ran down her spine because something told her that this man was very dangerous, even though he was incredibly handsome.

The man's eyes were focussed on Edward and his grin faltered a little, causing the dangerous air around him to become thicker. "You should take a hint and hit the road, pal."

Edward stared at the man for a moment before backing down and walking back to his car, glancing worriedly at Rachel while doing so.

Rachel turned to the man now and eyed him rather suspiciously. "Thanks."

The grin returned but the dangerous air didn't lessen a bit. "You're welcome, love."

"You don't know the quickest way to Westside Pizza by any chance, do you?" asked Rachel before really thinking about it. "My friends are waiting there for me and they must be getting really worried because I'm running late."

"Actually I do know. It's just around that corner," grinned the man and he pointed to the street opposite of where they were standing.

Rachel hoisted her bag better on her shoulder. "Thanks again."

"You're welcome, Miss..." He gave her a questioning look.

"Grey," answered Rachel, still eying him a little suspiciously. "Rachel Grey."

His grin widened a little. "It's very nice meeting you, Miss Grey."

"You too, mister man from the staircase in the dark parking lot where I was nearly raped," responded Rachel, giving him a daring look while her heart rate went up again.

His smile widened some more. "Clever girl."

"So I've been told before," answered Rachel, taking steps back towards the road so she could cross it. "I really appreciate you helping me with getting rid of him and all of that but I really hope I will never see you again, no offence."

"None taken," he chuckled. "Although I do hope we'll meet again. You're quite something."

Rachel chuckled and shook her head, giving him an amused and slightly flirty smile. "You Vampires really need to find something more original to say to me because I've been told that one too many times." His grin vanished, leaving nothing but a faint memory, and surprise overtook his eyes. "Goodbye, Mr Vampire."

She waved slightly before crossing the road and hurrying towards Bella Italia, only glancing back once when she went to pass the corner. He wasn't there anymore. He had just vanished into thin air. But something told her it wasn't the last time she would see him.

Shaking her head, she continued her way and saw that Jessica and Angela were just leaving the pizzeria when she hurried towards it.

"Girls."

They both looked up and sighed relieved when they saw her. "There you are."

"Where were you?"

"I got lost," answered Rachel, quickly thinking of an excuse. "I'm really sorry."

"We left you messages," told Angela her. "Tons of them."

"We waited for you to show up but we got hungry," explained Jessica with a guilty look on her face. "So we ordered something."

"That's okay," told Rachel her quickly while searching her pockets for her mobile. She could have sworn she had put it in one of the pockets of her coat. "I would have done the same. And I'm really really sorry. I haven't heard it ring at all." She grabbed her bag and went through it. "Where the bloody hell is it?"

"I think you lost it somewhere," said Angela slowly when she noticed Rachel couldn't find her phone.

"Great," breathed Rachel out. "Just got a new one and I've already lost it again. Just great. And on an evening like this." She shook her head and looked at her two friends. "Today is really not my day."

"You want us to wait and help you find it?" offered Angela.

"No, it's okay. I probably won't find it anyway. I probably lost it in that damned parking lot..." Rachel drifted off, thinking back to it and really not wanting to go back there. "But I'm starving so I'm going to grab something to eat. You two go home. I'll use a phone booth to call a cab or Charles to see if he can pick me up."

"You sure?" asked Jessica. "We can wait..."

"No, it's fine," reassured Rachel, thinking it wasn't a smart idea to spend almost an hour and a half with them in a car while she wasn't calm. "I kept you guys waiting for already way too long. Go home. I'll see you tomorrow at school."

"You really sure?" asked Angela, just in case.

"Positive," answered Rachel.

The two gave her a quick hug. "See ya tomorrow then."

"See you two tomorrow."

They walked towards the car and Rachel waited outside and waved at them until they drove away and she was alone again.

She let out a deep sigh while lowering her arm. "What a night."

A sudden gust of wind that flew past her made her freeze and look around. But there was no one to see, just a few people walking away from her who didn't seem to be bothered by a sudden gust of wind.

Rachel shrugged it off and entered the pizzeria, asking for a table at the back of the pizzeria for some privacy. Once she got it, she placed her coat over the back of the chair and left to use the bathroom for a moment.

When she returned she stopped and blinked rather surprised because now there was another person sitting at her table.

Rachel let out a deep sigh and walked on. "What are you doing here?"

Edward looked up. "I wanted to see if you were alright."

She sat down. "I'm fine. Why shouldn't I be?"

"That man –"

"– was no one. Just some nice British guy who had manners and came to my rescue," interrupted Rachel, not wanting to tell him the truth. "He didn't harm me in anyway. Why would he?"

Edward frowned. "There was something strange about him..."

"Trust me, he was not nearly as strange as you're," interrupted Rachel again. "But now you know I'm fine, you can leave again."

Edward shook his head softly and looked deep into her eyes. "I couldn't stand the fact that you walked away from me and refused to let me help you just because I wasn't being completely honest with you. I owe you some answers."

"You already owe me answers for a very long time and that didn't stop you before," bitched Rachel slightly. "So don't give me any of that. I'm tired of it. You're not going to tell me the truth and that's fine. But I'm not going to waste more time with trying to figure out the answers out myself because it's just too damn tiring. So I would really appreciate it if you would just leave me alone."

"I can't," he suddenly blurted out and Rachel crooked an eyebrow. "I've tried to stay away from you but I can't. I just can't." He took a deep breath. "I feel very protective of you."

"Protective?" repeated Rachel. Edward nodded. "So you weren't just driving by and saw me nearly getting raped. You were following me."

"I was trying to keep a distance, to not let you know I was there unless you needed my help," explained Edward quickly. "But then I heard what those low lives were thinking..."

"Wait," interrupted Rachel. "You heard what they were thinking?" Edward nodded again, this time a little more uncomfortable. That only grew when a big smile spread over Rachel's face. "I knew it! I knew you could read minds!"

"You really did know?" questioned Edward. Clearly he was doubting if it was wise to tell her the truth.

"Well, it was more of a hunch," admitted Rachel, still grinning because she finally got some answers. "A rather big hunch. Just like I have a hunch that Jasper possesses some kind of empathy and that Alice knows things she shouldn't know, like things that haven't happened yet."

"Yeah..." Edward was now really doubting if it was a smart idea. That was clear. "You're not very wrong about that either."

Rachel wanted to cheer again but before she could, a waitress with short black hair walked up to them with a very welcoming smile. A rather too welcoming smile. "Hello," she greeted them, her eyes focussed on Edward and only on Edward. "I'm Holly and I'll be your waitress tonight. Can I get out anything to drink?"

Rachel rolled her eyes. "I will take a coca cola."

"Make that two," continued Edward.

The waitress, Holly, wrote it down and walked away, swaying her hips a little too much from one side to another. Obvious much?

Once she was out of sight, Rachel turned to Edward. "So can you read my mind?"

Edward shook his head. "It's very frustrating," he told her. "I can read every single person in this room except you. It's almost as if something is blocking me. The moment I try, it's like my tries just bounce right back at me. Like elastic."

Rachel frowned slightly while going through the menu. "Do you think something is wrong with me? Because you can't read my mind?"

She was very well aware that Edward was now staring at her as if she had gone crazy. "You're asking me if there's something wrong with _**you**_ while I just admitted _**I**_ can read minds?"

Rachel just shrugged. "I'm not exactly normal but I guess you already figured that out." She frowned some more. "I wonder..." She drifted off while thinking things over.

"You wonder about what?" pressed Edward on, defiantly being curious.

"I wonder if you not being able to read my mind has something to do with the fact that I'm telepathic too. See, I've been told before that my mind is very hard to enter and that it has the bad habit to bounce back any kind of attack on it. Like elastic, just as you said. I can't be hypnotized either, which is a good thing so I will always know for sure that what I do, no matter how crazy, I'm always doing it on my own free will."

"You're telepathic?" questioned Edward, blinking rather surprised. Clearly he didn't know how to handle the information she had just given him.

Rachel rolled her eyes. "Don't tell me that that is such a big surprise to you because I know you and your family already had a hunch for weeks that I perhaps can read minds. Now you have your answer."

The waitress came back with their drinks and a basket with bread in it and placed it on the table, interrupting their conversation once more. "Were you able to make a choice?"

"I'll have a pizza with sundried tomatoes, chicken, garlic, tomatoes, green peppers and a BBQ sauce, please," answered Rachel.

Holly wrote it down and turned immediately to Edward again. "What about you?"

"Oh, I'm fine. I don't want anything."

Of course this saddened Holly quite a bit. "Well, let me know if you change your mind."

She walked away again, clearly not being satisfied at all, and Rachel rolled her eyes yet again while taking a long sip of her cola. The sugar rush felt amazing and she immediately drank the rest of it and mumbled a quick thanks when Edward placed his own glass in front of her.

"You look very pale," he told her while she drank.

"And that surprises you?" asked Rachel, giving him a sceptical look. "Did you forget what almost happened to me just a few minutes ago?"

His face hardened so much that it suddenly looked like it was made out of stone. "No, I did not forget. But you were quite calm when you were dealing with those thugs. Like you said yourself, you were handling yourself just fine. So it was something else that freaked out, wasn't it?"

"Oh, you have no idea," chuckled Rachel rather darkly. He wasn't satisfied with that answer and stared intensely at her in a try to get more out of her. "Men like that I can handle. They don't scare me. Not one bit. Charles always makes sure I've a pepper spray with me no matter where I go and I was taught how to fight." A shiver ran down her spine when she remembered the parking lot again. "But there're some things in this world that I can't fight. I can try but I know I could never win."

"What things?" wanted Edward to know.

"Just things," answered Rachel, not wanting to answer him.

And with that she ended the conversation and started to nibble on the slices of bread that were standing in front of them while they waited for her pizza.

* * *

**PLEASE REVIEW!**


	13. The Search For The Truth

**Hi, guys! How have you all been?**

**This is the second last chapter I'll update before summer break starts so I hope you guys will enjoy it and not hate me for leaving for so long.**

**Thank you to all who have reviewed and who have favourited this story or who are now following it. You guys are amazing!**

**Did you guys remember by the way that I gave a headsup about an unnamed character? Well, we have a winner, who guessed right about who he is without actually realising it. Congrats, guest reviewer going under the name mai. You weren't the only one who thinks about Klaus after reading about the stranger ;)**

**It's a little give away for a future sequel, as will there be another small give away in this chapter. You guys will see.**

**Enjoy the chapter and check the 10th of July for another update. **

**Please review and let me know what you think. PLEASE! I love reviews!**

**Again, enjoy the chapter!**

* * *

New Girl in Town

Chapter 12

The Search For The Truth

* * *

After her pizza was brought, Rachel tried to make Edward leave, telling him that even though he had given her some answers, she still wasn't going to stick around. Not after the way he had treated her before.

Of course he refused to leave and insisted on taking her home. After going back and forward for a while, Rachel gave in because this time there was no British stranger that came to her rescue. That and she wasn't really looking forward to call Charles to ask if he could pick her up and explain the situation to him. He would freak.

She ate her pizza and desert in silence and once she was satisfied, Edward paid for everything, causing her to get annoyed and snap at him that he was just doing all of this to get her angry. His hurt answer was that it were never his intention to upset her, causing her to point out he was doing a horrible job.

The drive back to Forks passed in silence too and Rachel just kept staring out of the window, still not feeling comfortable around Edward and the way he drove. He was driving way too fast but that she wasn't what she minded. She had broken the speed limit in France more than once so she was used to something. It was the rest of his driving style that made her uncomfortable. The sharp turns and the passing manoeuvres that he did on the slippery road went even beyond her comfort zone.

He refused to turn on the radio so the only sounds she could listen to were either the engine, their breathing or the almost silent noise the heating made.

She wasn't arguing with him this time about the way he was driving or about the heat that was making her dizzy. She was too tired to say anything. And how could she not be tired after everything that happened today? Her head was spinning and that was never a good thing.

Rachel glanced from out the corners of her eyes towards Edward to see if he perhaps was starting to feel the effect of the heat in the car too but he was just staring at the road and didn't seem effected at all.

She shook her head after a few more minutes had passed. The temperature in the car wasn't comfortable or healthy anymore. She reached towards the buttons of the heating, mumbling: "I think this is warm enough."

But just as she reached, so did Edward and their fingers slightly brushed over each other when their hands touched.

Rachel gasped in shock and immediately pulled her hand back, staring completely shocked at him. His hand was ice cold and not just the kind of cold that you get when you're walking in freezing weather outside without gloves on. It was the kind of cold that a corpse was.

"You should get a heated steering wheel," told Rachel him, after swallowing and deciding against questioning him about it.

His body tensed up again and his hands were yet again holding the wheel in a rather firm grip, almost as if he was afraid it would fall to pieces if he held it a little more loose. Or, she thought, as if he wouldn't be able to keep his hands to himself if he didn't hold it in that kind of a grip. Was he still thinking about those men who had nearly raped her?

Rachel turned her head away and stared out of the window again. To do something other than just listening to things that were just boring and letting her mind wander off to things she didn't want to think about, she started counting trees in her head. But they were driving so fast that it was nearly impossible for her to count them.

The normally one and a half hour drive was passing by a lot quicker because of the speed of the car and before Rachel realised it, they had passed the "Welcome in Forks" sign and they were nearing the police station.

That was when she noticed that a lot of police cars were standing there with their sirens and lights on, not to mention a few ambulances.

"What the hell?" breathed Rachel out, frowning deeply and wondering what could possibly be wrong. She then noticed a police car with a familiar license plate on it. Charles was still there. A sickening feeling that something was wrong with him hit her. "Pull over, Edward."

This time he did immediately as she asked and pulled into the parking lot by the police station. The words he then spoke made her worry only more. "That's my father's car at the end. What is he doing here?"

Rachel freaked out, thinking back to the man on the staircase and how he had said he would hope to see her again. She threw the door open and stepped out of the car to hurry towards the entrance.

Carlisle Cullen came just out of the station when she wanted to enter and they practically bumped into each other. "Hello there, Rachel," he greeted her. But there was no smile on his face whatsoever. He seemed worried.

"What's going on?" asked Rachel him, panic still rushing through her veins. "Is Charles alright?"

"He's fine," reassured Carlisle her, giving Edward a quick glance when he joined them. "Although he's a bit upset. Waylon Forge was found in a boat near his place. I just examined the body."

"Waylon Forge," repeated Rachel, frowning while trying to remember where she had heard that name before. Her eyes widened when she found the face matching that name. He had befriended Charles on the day they had come to look at the house and he had helped them to get all their stuff in the house and on the right place when they had moved. "He died?" she whispered in shock, tears appearing in her eyes. "How? What happened? Was it a heart attack? He was quite a bit of a drinker but he seemed fine last time I saw him."

"It was an animal attack," told Carlisle her.

"An animal attack?" All the colour in Rachel's face drained away and she was starting to freak out again. "Was it the same one who got that security guard down in Mason?"

Carlisle nodded. "Most likely."

Rachel's eyes darted to the ground while her mind raced on and while her hands started shaking. This was no coincidence. There was no way that this could be a coincidence. Two similar deaths in a period like this, both by an animal?

"Something isn't right," she whispered to herself while she pulled her hands into two fists to stop them from shaking. The another thought hit her and it made a whole new series of shiver run down her spine. "Oh God, they're getting closer to town."

"Rachel," said Carlisle immediately after she had whispered that. "You should probably go inside."

She gave him a weird look and noticed he was looking worried. "Why?"

"Your father seemed pretty upset when I saw him," he explained to her.

"Right," was Rachel's answer. But she wasn't buying it. Something told her he wasn't cornered about Charles' state of mind but he rather wanted her out of the way. She turned to Edward. "Thanks for the ride. I guess I'll see you at school."

Edward nodded and Rachel walked back inside, shooting a glance back over her shoulder at the two Cullen's when she saw inside and saw how they exchanged glances before Carlisle walked away.

She shrugged it off and walked deeper into the station. She found Charles sitting at his desk and staring at the black screen of his computer. When she reached him, she put her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly from behind. "Hey."

"Hey," greeted Charles back while raising a hand and rubbing it over one of her arms. His voice sounded off. "How was the shopping trip?"

"It was okay. We had fun and Jessica and Angela found their dresses for the spring dance." She tightened her grip around him a little. "I'm really sorry about Waylon, Charles. He was a good man." Charles nodded slightly but didn't say anything. "Spill," pressed Rachel on, knowing there was something bothering him.

"I just keep having the feeling that it's my fault, Elle. I should have been able to catch this thing and prevent anyone else getting hurt by it. I should have..."

"There was nothing you could have done, Charles," interrupted Rachel. "There was nothing anyone could have done. Not you, not me, not anyone."

"It's just..." Charles let out a deep sigh. "I thought I would have caught this thing in no time after the whole situation in France. I mean, everyone thinks I've experience in these things but..." He shook his head with a sad look in his eyes. "We've been hunting this thing for weeks and we're still not one step closer to finding it."

"Don't take this out on yourself, Charles," whispered Rachel, pressing her cheek against his while hugging him closer. "It took weeks before you found that cat back in France and the area you had to search was a lot smaller then here. Just give it a little more time. You'll catch it. I know you will."

Charles nodded and raised his hand and took her hand into his, pinching it slightly in a comforting way. "Don't worry, Elle. I'll protect you no matter what."

Rachel pressed a kiss on his cheek and hugged him even tighter afterwards. "I know, Charles. I know. I've all trust in you. You'll catch it. Just wait and see."

But deep down she knew that he wasn't going to catch it and she really hoped he wouldn't catch it either. Because the moment he would find it would be the moment she would lose the man she called her father and it would be the moment Janet would become a widow.

* * *

The news about Waylon's death had reached Janet too by the time Charles and Rachel came home and the thirst thing she did was hugging the living daylight out of them.

After getting the whole story out of Charles and after interrogating Rachel about how her shopping trip had been, she finally calmed down and Rachel told them good night and went upstairs. But she didn't go to sleep yet.

She did change into her pyjamas and she did crawl into bed but she took her laptop with her and opened a document and started typing. She made three columns: one with the name of Legend, one with the name of Truth and one with the name of Cullens.

Under the title 'Legend' she started typing things as: fangs, survives by drinking blood, red eyes, ice cold, deadly pale, sleeps in coffins, burns in the sun, only comes out during night, is very tempting, possesses the power to hypnotize people and make them do what they want, can take on other forms, can heal from anything, very fast, very strong, stake to the heart is fatal, other weaknesses: garlic, holy water, crucifies.

Under the title 'Truth' she started typing things as: fangs, survives by drinking blood, only red eyes when in Vampire state, looks normal, can walk in the sun under certain circumstances, keeps the skin colour they had before being turned, not ice cold, no need for coffins, does burn in the sun if not under certain circumstances, is very attractive and tempting, possesses the power to hypnotize people and make them do what they want, only strong ones can take on another form, very fast, very strong (how older, how stronger), can eat and drink normally too, stake to the heart is fatal, other weaknesses: vervain, anything made out of wood.

Under the last title 'Cullens' she stopped for a moment and grabbed the book over the Quileute Legends and started reading it. Every now and then she typed something and by the time she put the book away she had typed: can walk in the sun without being burned, very strong, very fast, ice cold, has certain abilities like reading minds and empathy, has either yellow/golden or black eyes, is quite attractive but not tempting in some sort, weakness: unknown.

Rachel read things over while frowning deeply. She was missing something. She just knew she was missing something. But what was it?

She minimized her document and started her internet where she searched on Google for Cold One. She got quite a view results but in the end the one that really caught her attention was the one who said 'The Cold One: Apotamkin' with an image of some weird kind of thing eating a human figure.

She selected it and started reading it. After she was done she scrolled down and saw it was the description of a Cold One according to the legends of the Northwest of the Pacific.

She frowned some more and selected the legends in China, then Egypt, then India, then Peru, then Japan, then England. The list went on and on but she only got more and more confused with each page that she read.

According to the old Egyptians Cold Ones were Immortal Drinkers, according to the legends from India they were the source of the Ganges and according to the legends in Peru the only way to kill a Cold One was to dismember it.

Rachel couldn't stop reading, no matter how many shivers went down her spine and no matter how many of the hairs at the back of her neck were standing straight up.

In the end she stopped because there just wasn't anything left for her to read and with a sigh she saved the document she had made and shut off her computer.

It still didn't make sense but there wasn't any other reasonable explanation. The Cullens were the most beautiful things most people had ever seen (attractive); they were incredibly fast and strong seeing as Edward wouldn't have been able to get to her so fast and to stop the minivan during the crash (speed and strength); Edward could read minds, Jasper was some sort of empathy and Alice knew things that hadn't happened yet (gifted); they had the strangest eye colour she had ever seen; they were unhealthy pale, like they were on the brink of dead or already dead and their touch was ice-cold, as if you touched a dead body.

It didn't make sense yet it fitted perfectly. If she hadn't know what she already knew she wouldn't have doubted for a second that the Cullens were Vampires. But it didn't tick all the boxes.

Rachel sighed deeply while putting her laptop and the book back on her desk. She needed to confront them. She needed to know the truth because she was beyond confused at the moment and it just didn't make a lot of sense.

But would they tell her? Of course not. And even if she did confront them, they would probably make sure she wouldn't be able to tell anyone else. So confronting them wasn't the best idea.

The she remembered something. Something Edward had said. "I feel very protective of you."

A smile formed itself on her lips. Him. She would confront him and demand answers. He wouldn't hurt her. He had admitted himself that he wanted nothing more than to keep her safe and that it were never his intentions to upset her.

But he wouldn't talk with his family around so she had to make sure that the others wouldn't be around. So she needed to confront him somewhere private. Somewhere where the other Cullens wouldn't be able to hear it and somewhere no one could eavesdrop on them.

Rachel jumped a little when someone knocked on her door. "Come in."

The door went open and Janet glanced around it. "Rachel, honey, it's past midnight. Don't you think it's time to go to sleep?"

"Right. Sorry. Good night."

"Night."

Janet closed the door again and Rachel sighed while crawling in bed again. Somewhere private and at a time when others would be busy. She could lure him into the forest just before school would start. Edward would follow her, no doubt about that, and the others would be too busy with getting to their classes.

Deciding she would do that, Rachel turned off the light and forced herself to go to sleep. That night she wasn't dreaming about being chased through a dark tunnel into a ballet studio. That night she dreamed over waking up and seeing men with monstrous faces, fangs and red eyes with black veins around them hanging above her bed. And every time she would scream and she would finally wake up screaming in her own bed again.

* * *

When Rachel woke up from her alarm the next morning, she felt horrible and she looked a lot like a ghost. Her face was unhealthy pale and her eyes slightly puffed and red from crying. Her throat was also very sore from all the screaming.

Her room was a mess. Clothes were spread all over the floor, her closet was hanging open and a couple of the drawers looked like they were about to fall out because they were opened that far, books were lying open and everywhere, papers were torn apart and the small pieces made it look like it had snowed in her room.

The sixteen year old groaned and buried her face into her pillows. She didn't want to get out of bed and go to school. She didn't want to confront Edward about what she had found out because she was afraid of what he would tell her. What if she was right and there were two types of Vampires? And what if she was wrong? She would have openly admitted that Vampires actually existed.

Someone knocked on her door and Rachel groaned some more. "Go away." The door went open. "Really?" complained Rachel, still with her head buried in the pillows. "What's the description of 'go away' in your vocabulary?"

"Don't give me any of that, young lady," told Janet her. Rachel turned her head slightly and peeked through her hear towards the blond woman and saw that she was picking up clothes and books from the ground. "I understand that you're in a bad mood but was this really necessary?"

"I didn't do this on purpose," muttered Rachel.

"Then what happened?"

"I was bothered by nightmares throughout the entire night."

Janet frowned slightly. "You did this while sleeping? I'm surprised you didn't wake us up." Rachel remained silent. "You need to get out of bed, sweetheart."

"I don't want to get out of bed," complained Rachel, burying her face once more in her pillows. "I'm exhausted."

Janet sat down beside her on bed. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"Not really," answered Rachel. "I just had a lot of nightmares and kept waking up screaming, only to fall asleep quite quickly again and waking up screaming a few moments later."

Janet caressed her hair back and her eyes widened when she saw Rachel's face. "Good God. You look terrible. Did you get any sleep at all?"

"Hardly," answered Rachel, turning slightly on her side. "And the amount of sleep that I did get gave me little to no energy.

"Is there a reason why you're suddenly having this much nightmares again?" wanted Janet to know.

"No," lied Rachel. Janet crooked an eyebrow. "Maybe I'm just worried about those animal attacks and Charles chasing the animal in question. I'm worried something will happen to him. And I don't want to be fatherless again."

Janet smiled sadly and caressed her hair, leaning forward for a moment and pressing a kiss on Rachel's forehead. "Everything will be fine, Rachel. Charles is a lot tougher then he sometimes looks. There's no need to worry about."

"So you're not worried about him at all?" whispered Rachel. "I mean, this animal has already killed two people in cold blood."

"I married a police man, sweetheart," smiled Janet. "I fear for his life every single day. But he always comes back and I trust him and those amazing reflexes of his. He's gifted and it is something he has on the others. He won't be easy to take down."

Rachel put her arms around her pillow and moved her head a little. "I guess you're right."

Janet caressed more of her hair back. "Are you now going to tell me what really happened last night in Port Angeles?"

"What do you mean 'what really happened'?" questioned Rachel, giving the older woman a confused look. "I told you what happened. I went shopping with Angela and Jessica and that's it."

"That's not just it," corrected Janet. "You told me that they were the ones who dropped you off at the police station but I know that that isn't true because before you and Charles came home, Jessica called to see if you had already made it home and she told me that you didn't leave Port Angeles with them but that you stayed behind and that you would call a cab to take you home. She also mentioned something about you losing your mobile and being lost when you wondered around on your own in search of a bookstore." Rachel silently cursed Jessica when Janet told her that. "You don't get lost, sweetheart. Ever. So what happened?"

Rachel let out a small sigh. "Don't tell Charles, please."

Concern spread over Janet's face. "Why would you ask me that?" Panic struck her now. "What happened?"

"Nothing," reassured Rachel her quickly. "I just... That bookstore was lying somewhere remote and when I was making my way back to the centre, I ran into these guys who were drunk and didn't exactly have the best intentions."

Janet gasped. "Oh my God."

"Nothing happened," said Rachel quickly, sitting up slightly and looking her straight into the eyes. "I didn't get hurt. I can't say the same about them though. I think I broke at least two noses."

"Rachel..." breathed Janet out. "You should have called us."

"I was fine. They didn't touch me or anything and after the adrenaline left my system everything was just okay." Rachel gave her mother a pleading look. "Please don't tell Charles. He will freak."

Janet stared at her for a moment, clearly doubting if promising her that was smart. Finally she let out a sigh and hugged her. "Okay. I won't tell him. But next time something like this happens, you call us. Understood?"

Rachel nodded. "Yeah, understood."

Janet pressed a kiss on her forehead and got up from the bed. "I know you're tired but you need to go to school." Rachel let out another groan and dropped herself in the pillows again. "So get dressed. I'll make you breakfast and coffee."

* * *

**Please review!**


	14. The Finding Of The Truth

**Hi, guys! The last update on the tenth, like promised.**

**The weather here in the Netherlands is amazing. We finally have the good weather that mother nature owned us, seeing as we had a lousy spring :( . **

**I'll keep it real short, seeing as you guys are probably curious about what will happen between Rachel and Edward, seeing as she's going to confront him. A little heads-up, it's nothing like Bella's confrontation. **

**ShadowsOfTheDay and DreamUnicorn247, thank you for your reviews. And authorstage, thank you for the private message. Here's the update, like promised.**

**I think I'll update again after my summer break is over because I have one chapter after this one and than they're up. So I really need to work hard on this story in the summer. Hope you guys will understand that. I might update a little sooner but I can't make any promises about that yet. Really sorry :(**

**Please review to let me know what you guys thought about this chapter and about Rachel's reaction. And I hope you guys will enjoy this chapter.**

**Happy summer break! :D**

**XxX Emmetje**

* * *

New Girl in Town

Chapter 13

The Finding Of The Truth

* * *

Rachel didn't know how she had gotten herself so far to get up but eventually she managed to get out of bed and to the bathroom where she took a very short but very hot shower. It calmed her down a little and woke her up some more.

She was still feeling nervous, though. How could she not when she was going to confront a potential Vampire about what he was in the woods all on her own?

Edward had perhaps told her that he felt very protective of her and that he would never hurt her on purpose but she knew how unpredictable Vampires could be and how fast they could change their minds. And there was nothing more dangerous than a Vampire changing his mind, especially one with mood swings like Edward.

Wrapping a towel tightly around her and grabbing a smaller towel to dry her hair with, Rachel walked back to her bedroom. She didn't want to go to school. She just wanted to stay at home and get some more sleep. But the sooner she confronted Edward, the sooner she could let it go. She had already spend too many nights and days wondering about this mystery. It was time to find some closure.

Suddenly something caught her eye. Something that was lying on her windowsill and that wasn't supposed to be there. It was her mobile.

Frowning she walked towards it and picked it up. Where had it come from? She certainly hadn't placed it there. And hadn't she lost it in Port Angeles?

Still frowning, Rachel unlocked her phone but saw nothing out of the ordinary. That was until she opened her notes. There was a note saying: To Miss Grey.

A shiver ran down her spine when she realised who had called her that and she got the feeling that she hadn't lost her mobile but that someone had taken it. Someone who was so fast that she wouldn't notice.

Her suspicion was confirmed when she read the note. "_Good luck with your search for answers and until next time._"

Rachel narrowed her eyes and glared at the note. "Stupid Vampires," she muttered angrily to herself while throwing her phone on bed and getting dressed. "They're all the same. All have the exact same arrogant, cocky attitude. Think they can get away with anything."

"Rachel!"

"I'm coming, I'm coming!" called Rachel back, still glaring at everything she passed. "Hold your horses!"

Still muttering things about how ignorant and extremely annoying Vampires were, she grabbed her stuff and hurried downstairs.

"Oh, you look like someone just insulted you in the most horrible way ever," commented Janet when Rachel walked into the kitchen with a scowl on her face.

"Don't ask," threw Rachel at her. "You don't want to know. Trust me."

But of course Janet still asked. She was Janet, always curious and always wanting to know everything. "Boy trouble?"

"More like arrogant British man who thinks he can get away with everything trouble."

"Oh, you met someone?" smiled Janet widely.

"No," corrected Rachel quickly. "I was being bothered by someone and he came to my rescue and told him off. I didn't even catch his name."

"Oh, you just got to love the British," sighed Janet with a dreamy smile on her face. "They're so civil and such gentlemen." She looked at her daughter again. "You think you will see him again?"

"I sure hope not," muttered Rachel. "Like I said, he wasn't exactly your stereotype Britisher."

"Was he handsome?" wanted Janet to know.

Rachel gave her a weird look. "I guess..."

"Oh, a handsome British gentleman. Why didn't you just jump his bones?"

Rachel glared at her and didn't answer. Instead she quickly ate her breakfast before hurrying out of the house and towards school. This morning wasn't going as she had planned it would go. And something told her things would only be getting worse.

Things defiantly felt like they were getting worse with each inch she came closer to school. Her throat was sore and she had the feeling that she would soon be reunited with her breakfast, which was not a good thing.

The drive to school was long because Rachel deliberately was driving very slowly. She didn't want to be early because then more people would suddenly notice her disappearance. She also really really really didn't want to go to school.

Finally Forks High came into view and she parked her car in the parking lot. Apparently the bell had already rang because it was crowded by the entrance with students who wanted to get inside and the parking lot was nearly deserted.

"Okay," whispered Rachel to herself, taking a deep breath and closing her eyes. "There's nothing to worry about. He isn't going to hurt you. You're just going to get out of the car and walk into the forest instead of into school and when he appears, you'll confront him and he'll answer your questions. It's as simple as that."

She opened her eyes and looked at the entrance again. No one seemed to notice her car standing there and her not getting out of it. Maybe it was better that way.

She took another deep breath and her hand went to the coat pocket, clutching the pepper spray that was tugged away in there tightly before letting it go again and opening the door.

Rachel stepped out of her car while pulling her bag over her shoulder and glanced around again. She was the only person left standing in the parking lot. All the other students were already either inside or trying to make their way through the crowd by the entrance to get inside.

She threw her car door close and locked it before taking another breath and walking away from school and towards the forest, not once looking back.

Her heart was trying to jump out of her chest again and her hands were sweating. But that were the least of her problems. She was much more focussed on where she placed her feet because her legs were shaking uncontrollably and one wrong step would send her to the ground.

The trees that surrounded her were increasing in numbers with almost each step she took and the air became thicker and the sounds of civilisation became less until they all had been replaced by snapping branches, moving leaves and the singing of birds.

Rachel finally stopped walking when her feet were starting to ache and placed a hand against a tree, holding it for support. Her breathing was too fast again and came out rather shaky.

She closed her eyes and pressed her other hand against her still too fast beating heart. "What on earth am I doing?" she asked herself in a small voice.

"I was about to ask you the same thing." Rachel's eyes snapped open and she turned around, seeing none other than Edward Cullen standing a few feet away from her. "Why aren't you at school?"

Rachel swallowed, her heart was trying to jump out of her chest again, and tried to make him believe that she was brave. She straightened her shoulders and gave him a stubborn look. "I could ask you the same thing," she threw back at him. "Why aren't you at school?"

"I saw you walk into the woods on your own," Edward answered, staying where he was: a few feet away from her. "It's not safe to wander around here on your own, Rachel. I thought you would be smarter than that."

"I'm smarter than that," answered Rachel. "But my curiosity wins it every time from my sanity."

Edward frowned slightly. "What do you mean?"

"You're never willing to give me any answers when your siblings are around so I had to get you away from them," started Rachel to explain. "I knew you would see me walk into the woods and I knew you would follow me."

Edward's face became stone like again. He didn't let one single emotion show. "You lured me away from them."

"And away from others who would be listening in," continued Rachel. "They're quite curious, aren't they?"

Edward's face didn't change but for a moment a flash of anger passed through his eyes. "Why?"

"I want answers," answered Rachel immediately. "I thought it would be obvious by now. I want to know what you are." She saw him grind his teeth. "What are you, Edward Cullen?"

But he shook his head while turning around and he started to walk away. "I can't..."

"You're impossibly fast," interrupted Rachel. "And strong." Edward stopped but staid with his back turned to her. "Your skin is as cold as that of a corpse and it's so white that it looks like you could drop dead in any moment, if you aren't dead already." Slowly he turned his head towards her. "You don't eat human food, you disappear whenever the sun shines, your eyes change colour." He moved his whole body to her direction. "You can do something like reading minds when that isn't possible for a human being and sometimes you speak as if you were born in a complete different era." She wetted her lips. "How old are you?"

"Seventeen," answered Edward. His voice sounded very off.

"How long have you been seventeen?" demanded Rachel to know.

Edward remained silent for quite some time before he finally answered: "A while."

"How long?" repeated Rachel, determination burning in her eyes like fire.

"Since 1918."

"1918," repeated Rachel, quickly doing the math. "That makes you a 107 years old." Edward remained silent so she continued. "According to the Quileute Legends you and your family are Vampires."

"And you believe that?" wanted Edward to know. His voice still sounded off.

"I don't know what to believe," answered Rachel, now looking frustrated. "Apparently you're a Vampire yet you don't fit most of the boxes." She crooked her head slightly. "Or do you?"

Edward's face remained stone like. "Do what?"

That was the only answer Rachel needed and she immediately started her cross examination. "Do you burn in the sun?"

"No."

"Stake through the heart?"

"Neither."

"Can you change in a different form?" Edward shook his head. "Do you have fangs?" He shook his head once more. "Can you compel people?" Once more a shake of the head. "Does wood harm you at all?"

"No."

"Vervain?"

Edward frowned slightly. "What's vervain?"

Rachel rolled her eyes. "See what I mean. Everything I know about Vampires just doesn't describe you. Just the speed, the strength, the immortality and the blood drinking. How is that possible?" She gave him another demanding look. "Are there two different types of Vampires?"

"No," answered Edward. "It's just us. Everything humans know about us, we made up. In that case we could prove that we weren't Vampires if they ever caught us."

"Are you sure?" asked Rachel, just to be sure.

Edward nodded. "Positive."

Rachel stared at his face and noticed he wasn't lying. He really believed there was only one kind of Vampire: his kind, Cold Ones. She knew something he didn't. Should she tell him? No, she had promised to keep it a secret.

"So you're a Vampire," said Rachel, still not really finding it right. She got a stiff head nod. "Aha."

"Are you afraid?" wanted Edward to know and Rachel frowned a little. Not because he asked her that but because there was such a great amount of disgust in his voice.

"Afraid?" she asked him before letting out a snort. "No. Defiantly not."

His face became stone hard again. "Then ask me the most basic question. What do we eat?"

"Well, apparently not humans," was Rachel's response. "Or else there would be a lot more persons missing and there would be a lot more animal attacks reported. And since that is neither the case I'm guessing: animal blood?"

That was clearly not what he wanted to hear and anger again flashed through his eyes. "How can you be so calm about this?!"

"Simple," answered Rachel. "You're not going to hurt me."

Edward moved and was suddenly standing right in front of her nose. "Rachel, your blood is like nothing I've ever smelled before. When we first met I wanted to kill you so badly."

"But you didn't," pointed Rachel out, not even blinking once.

Edward gave her a cold look. "I still want too."

"And that's why you tried so hard to stay away from me," concluded Rachel. "But let me tell you something, Edward Cullen. You wanted to kill me but you didn't. You still want to kill me? Well, I'm here, all alone in the forest with you, and I'm still standing. Still talking. You still haven't killed me yet." She stared deep into his eyes. "If you really wanted to kill me, I would be dead but since I'm not, I know you're not going to kill me."

To say Edward was not happy with her answer, again, was an understatement. "How can you say that?!" he nearly yelled in her face. "How can you be so stupid?!"

"Don't you yell at me, Mister!" snapped Rachel. "Just because you're a Vampire doesn't immediately give you the privilege to act like a jerk and start yelling in my face!" Edward let out a growl and walked away from her. "Asshole," muttered Rachel while sinking down on a fallen tree.

"I can hear you, you know?" threw Edward at her.

Rachel just rolled her eyes and answered: "That was the point, you bloody idiot."

Edward let out another growl, clearly feeling annoyed. "I did warn you that you would be disappointment."

She snorted. "Sorry to disappoint _**you**_ but I'm not disappointed. Frustrated and confused perhaps but not disappointed. Although it would actually be a lot cooler if you had been able to change into something else, like an animal." Her thoughts wondered off. "Like a crow..."

"Why a crow?" wanted Edward to know.

Rachel immediately looked up and quickly said: "No reason."

He eyed her as if he didn't believe it but didn't press on, causing silence to fall yet again between them. He moved around a little, almost like he desperately wanted to leave but something was holding him back.

Rachel followed his movements with her eyes while drawing things in the sand with a branch. "If you don't burn in the sunlight, then why don't you come out into it?" she wondered out loud, her curiosity getting the best of her again.

"We sparkle."

Rachel's head snapped up when he said that. "You what?" He just gave her a blank look. "You're kidding." But he looked dead serious. "Seriously?" asked Rachel. "You sparkle?"

"Yes." Rachel stared at him for a few moments before the corners of her lips shifted up and she burst out in laughter. His face turned annoyed, even slightly hurt. "It's not funny!"

"Actually it is!" brought Rachel out, still laughing. "A Vampire, the worlds' greatest predator, sparkles in the sunlight! God, it's hilarious!" She fell from the fallen tree and onto her back because she was laughing that hard. "I can't believe this!"

Edward looked at her, still with a cold stone expression. Apparently he didn't think it was that funny. "Are you done?" he asked after a while.

Rachel, still laughing a bit, nodded and got up again. "Yeah, I think I'm." She rubbed the tears away and then noticed the look he was giving her. "Oh, don't be so boring. You got to admit it's funny." The look he gave her told her he wasn't agreeing. "Then place yourself in my position. Your entire life you've been thinking that Vampires are big bad monsters, hiding in the shadows and preying on the innocent. Only to find out that they sparkle in the sunlight. I mean, little girls will never be scared of your lot ever again if they find out about that, seeing as they like everything that sparkles." She gave him a waiting smile. "Still don't think it's a tiny bit of funny?"

He glared at her. "No." Rachel rolled her eyes. "And you shouldn't find it funny either."

"Give me one good reason," dared the girl. Maybe she shouldn't have said that because in a flash he was standing in front of her and pulled her up. "Hey!" she protested. "What the hell are you doing?!" He didn't answer and started to drag her away from the place they had been and deeper into the forest. "Edward, let go of me!"

"No," Edward answered with clenched teeth. "You need to see."

He dragged her on. "Where are you taking me?" demanded Rachel to know.

"Up the mountain," answered Edward. "Out of the cloudbank. You need to see what I look like in the sunlight with your own eyes. You need to realise."

"What?" asked Rachel, a little shocked. "No way! I'm not going with you all the way up to the mountain!" She planted her heels into the ground and pulled back. "Forget it!"

Of course Edward was having none of that and with one quick move he had pulled her onto his back and was running up the mountain with inhuman speed.

Rachel let out a scream and hid her face in his coat while closing her eyes and tightening her arms around his neck. Yes, it had defiantly been a very stupid idea to dare him.

The wind whizzed past them, making her shiver and making her deaf to all the sounds around her. She hated it and just clung onto Edward, begging that he would soon stop and put her down and let her leave.

After what felt like hours but what probably only had been a few minutes, Edward stopped running and started walking. Rachel immediately tried to get of his back but he refused to let her go.

"Edward, put me down!" she ordered angrily. "Right now! This is kidnapping!"

He let her go and Rachel's feet landed on the ground. Only her legs gave in from under her because of the sudden weight they had to carry again and she let out a small yelp when she fell on the ground.

Edward hurried towards her, looking slightly concerned. "Are you alright?"

He offered her his hand to help her up but she glared at him and slapped it away. "Stay the hell away from me!"

Edward frowned slightly. "I just want to help."

"I don't need your help, stupid Vampire!" snapped Rachel angrily. "I wouldn't even be on the ground wasn't it for the fact that you bloody kidnapped me!"

"I didn't kidnap you," disagreed Edward, his face standing cold again. "I just need you to see and understand..."

"You didn't kidnap me?!" interrupted Rachel. She was the one who did the yelling this time. "I'm here, up a bloody mountain, against my will because you dragged me here! How exactly is that not kidnapping?!" She pushed herself up from the ground and quickly grabbed hold of a large tree when her legs started shaking again. "Take me back."

"I will," promised Edward. "As soon as I showed you. As soon as you understand." Rachel narrowed her eyes and wanted to protest but he gave her a pleading look. "Please, Rachel. Just hear me out."

Even though she was still angry at him, Rachel sighed frustrated and gave in. "Fine."

Edward gave her a small nod as a thank you and walked towards the ray of sunlight that fell through the trees. She couldn't see what exactly was happening because he was facing her with his back.

"This is why we don't show ourselves in the sunlight," he explained to her. "People would immediately know we were different."

He finally turned around and Rachel's eyes widened. Where she first had laughed because of the fact that his kind sparkled in the sunlight, she had to admit it was pretty impressive to see. It were like millions of diamonds had been sewed into his skin and just like any other girl and any other woman, Rachel just loved those small, sparkling and very expensive stones.

"No more laughing?" asked Edward bitterly.

Rachel chuckled slightly. "Okay, maybe it was wrong for me to laugh but I still think it was rather funny."

Edward's face remained bitter. "Do you still think it's funny?"

She shook her head. "I think it's beautiful. You're like a walking diamond. How can I not find that beautiful?" She crooked her head a little. "Do you guys come in the shape of engagement rings too?"

"Beautiful?" snapped Edward, ignoring her last question completely. "This is the skin of a killer."

"Just because you have a skin that sparkles doesn't immediately mean you're a killer," corrected Rachel, her mind drifting back to a similar conversation she once had. "Being a Vampire doesn't immediately make you a killer. The bad choices you make as a Vampire do that."

Edward let out a snort and walked away. Rachel followed him slowly because her legs were still feeling a bit shaky.

"I killed people in the past, Rachel," he told her in an angry voice. But it sounded like he was more angry at himself than at her. "I took human lives."

"You're a Vampire," was Rachel's answer. "It's in your nature to feel bloodlust and to want to kill."

"THAT'S NOT AN EXCUSE!" Edward roared angrily, causing Rachel to jump slightly.

"Stop bloody yelling at me!" she snapped at him. "It's not going to make me change my mind and make me scared of you!" Edward breathed out in anger. "So you killed several humans. Big whoop. Humans kill other humans too but you don't hear them yell at me, now do you?"

"It's still no excuse," muttered Edward, looking away from her.

"You read minds," threw Rachel at him. "So those humans you killed, were they innocent?"

He remained silent for a moment. "No," he finally answered. "They were murderers and rapists."

"Then you probably did the world an enormous favour," said Rachel. "We're better off without them." The look he gave her told her immediately that he disagreed with her again and Rachel sighed before asking: "Did you torture them?"

Edward frowned. "No..."

"Did you let them know you were hunting them, making them feel terrified, before you killed them?"

"No..."

"Did you take your time and made them suffer?"

"No!" snapped Edward. "Why do you want to know all those things?!"

"Because in that case you aren't evil," snapped Rachel back. "I already told you before that I know you're putting on a mask and trying to make me believe you're the bad guy. And remember what I told you back then? I met the real bad guys and you're not one of them. The real bad guys would torture their victims, would make them feel what it was like to be hunted and to have that fear, they would make them suffer and they would take their time. But you didn't. And most of all, you killed bad people. The real bad guys wouldn't go after them but they would go for the loyal housewives, the happily married men or the innocent virgins." She crooked her head a little and gave him a small smile. "They would let their bloodlust take them over. They would kill whoever they wanted whenever they wanted and they wouldn't care about their humanity. They wouldn't try living off animal blood. They wouldn't even think about it. That you did and that you actually live of it, that's more than enough to prove that you are not a real killer."

Edward stared at her and she finally got the feeling like she was getting through to him. "You really think that?" he wanted to know. Rachel nodded and Edward let out a sigh. "You don't know how long I've waited to hear that. How long I've waited for _**you**_."

Rachel swallowed when she realised what he meant with the latter and it scared her a little. So she turned her head away from him. "Can you take me back to lower ground now?"

And when he spoke out the next two words, the pain and hurt in his voice was hard to miss and it made her feel incredibly guilty. "Of course."

* * *

**How many of you thought she was actually going to run into his arms like Bella does in the movie ;) ?**

**You guys will have to wait a little longer before you see Rachel and Edward as a couple and it's going to take Edward some efford to get her so far. Because face it, Rachel isn't that easy.**

**Again, the next update will probaly take a while. Probably after my summer break has finished but I might just update a little earlier. But that's a big maybe.**

**Please review and enjoy your summer break (if you have one)!**


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